Zachary Porthen will wade straight into the Test rugby surf this weekend and there’s no lifeguard on duty.
The 21-year-old former Junior Springbok captain is set to become the youngest prop of the professional era to debut for South Africa when theSpringboksface Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has named a largely settled side for the November International opener, sticking with 16 players from the team that edged Argentina 29–27 to clinch the Rugby Championship title.
Zach Porthen is set for his Springbok debut this weekend and Rassie is keen to see how he performs.
🗣️ "He'll be nervous but I think physically he'll be up for it and we'll help him to be mentally ready."#SSRugbypic.twitter.com/NqtzIUai83
“He proved at Vodacom URC level and with the Junior Springboks what he can do,” said Erasmus.
“We’re looking forward to seeing what he offers in his first Test. At this level, you have to sink or swim.”
Porthen joins Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx in a heavyweight front row, with Lood de Jager and RG Snyman locking the scrum. Siya Kolisi leads a loose trio alongside Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, De Jager, and Mostert return after time out, while Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar bolster the bench.
The backline sees Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback, Arendse and Ethan Hooker on the wings, and Cheslin Kolbe shifting to fullback.
Erasmus highlighted the value of experience within the squad:
“It’s great to have players back. You can feel their hunger. This is the best team we could field against a quality Japan outfit who’ll want to make a strong statement.”
With six Japan-based Boks in the mix, Erasmus expects a tactical arm wrestle.
“Their experience in that league helps, but Japan will also know them well,” he said.
“They’re well-coached by Eddie Jones and won’t hold back.”
For Porthen, it’s a baptism in Bok green, a plunge into the roaring scrum where the brave either sinks or rise like foam.
Springbokcoach Rassie Erasmus jetted off to London on Sunday, bracing for a five-week European tour that promises to test every sinew and synapse of the world champions.
The full squad will regroup in the UK on Monday morning, ready to tackle a sequence of five Test matches that reads like a gauntlet of rugby heavyweights.
The Bokskick off their campaign against Japan at Wembley Stadium on 1 November, before locking horns with France in Paris, Italy in Turin, Ireland in Dublin, and Wales in Cardiff. Each encounter will present a fresh challenge in vastly different conditions.
Erasmus, ever the strategist, knows that touring Europe in November is no spring picnic. It’s more like a muddy, cold-weather arm wrestle, where slick southern flair must survive in the trenches.
“We are excited about the tour and to measure ourselves against some of the best teams in the world,” he said before departure.
“A lot of hard work has been put in behind the scenes since the Rugby Championship, and hopefully this will set us in good standing to build on our season so far.”
The Bok mentor is acutely aware of the curveballs awaiting his squad. This includes the heavy air, damp pitches, and bruising opposition. But he believes his players are well-prepared for the north’s wintry grind.
“The conditions are vastly different in the UK and Europe to South Africa this time of the year,” Erasmus noted.
“But fortunately, most of the players have been exposed to those conditions either during their United Rugby Championship tours or by playing for overseas clubs.
“The time zone is also very similar to South Africa, which means we can slot back into full Test mode immediately from our first training session on Monday.”
If the schedule looks daunting on paper, Erasmus embraces it like a seasoned flanker facing down a charging number eight.
He knows the mental battle will be just as fierce as the physical one. It’s been 10 years since Japan caused one of the biggests upsets in the rugby world when the Brave Blossoms beat the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup in Brighton in England in 2015.
Coaches, Eddie Jones (Japan) and Rassie Erasmus (South Africa), will be going head-to-head at Wembley Stadium. Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
“Japan have been improving steadily over the last few years, and they defeated us a few years ago, so we have no doubt they will come out guns blazing next Saturday and throw everything at us,” he said.
France and Ireland, both top-four sides, loom as potential tour-defining tests.
“The last time we faced France in Paris was in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, and that result will psyche them up going into the match against them,” said Erasmus.
“They are also ranked fourth in the world currently, and Ireland third, and we all know how tough matches at the Aviva Stadium are against them.”
He also expects spirited resistance from Italy and Wales. These two teams have plenty to prove on home turf.
“Italy put up a brave fight against us in Pretoria, and that will give them confidence going into our match in Turin. Wales will also be up for the challenge after recovering from a tough few years earlier this season, so we need to be ready mentally and physically each week to get the desired results.”
“It won’t be easy,” he concluded, “but we have a quality group of players, and we know what they are capable of doing when we stick to our structures and play to our potential on the day.”
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has recalled powerhouse prop Ox Nche for Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider against Argentina at Twickenham in London.
Nche, a late withdrawal in Durban last week, returns to the front row alongside Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit. Grant Williams, Jesse Kriel and Bongi Mbonambi are back on the bench in the only other changes to the match-day 23.
Ox Nche is back as Rassie Erasmus makes a few minor tweaks to the #Springboks side for Saturday's Castle Lager Rugby Championship decider in London 🐂 Catch all the action live on @SSRugby 👍#ForeverGreenForeverGold
“This match is a Final for us, and we know how dangerous Argentina can be, so we selected combinations we feel will be best suited for this game,” said Rassie.
“There are minimal personnel changes, with the bulk of the team having done the job for us last week against the Pumas in Durban and our other Rugby Championship matches.
“Ox and Grant could have played last week if we really needed them, but Boan (Venter) and Morne (van den Berg) did really well, while Jesse was rotated in the last two matches and is raring to go.
“The same applies to Bongi, who last played against Australia, and who is excited for this opportunity.
“Their experience, combined with the younger players in the team, makes this an exciting squad, which is exactly what we need in a match that will essentially be the Rugby Championship decider.”
Eben Etzebeth wins his 138th cap in the second row, while Siya Kolisi will lead the side in his 98th Test.
The rest of the starting XV is unchanged, with Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu again at halfback and Damian Willemse at fullback.
“They may be out of the title race, but they have beaten the All Blacks, Wallabies, and British & Irish Lions this season. It’s going to be another hard grind.”
The Boks will know exactly what result is needed after Australia face New Zealand earlier in the day.
Ethan Hooker, 22, barely two caps old, is thrust into the spotlight for his first Test start, joining a back division brimming with new combinations.
Cobus Reinach links with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback, Damian Willemse partners Canan Moodie in midfield, while Cheslin Kolbe and Aphelele Fassi provide the familiar fizz out wide.
Up front, Rassie leans on trusted muscle. Siya Kolisi resumes his captainand flank duties alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit, with Jasper Wiese charging back from suspension like a pent-up bull. Malcolm Marx anchors a front row unchanged, while Lood de Jager’s return adds heft beside Ruan Nortje in the engine room.
The Bok coach has again gone with a 5–3 bench split, deploying RG Snyman and Kwagga Smith as his impact forwards, while Manie Libbok and Andre Esterhuizen wait in the wings to add late spark.
Rassie Erasmus has made a number of tweaks to the #Springboks team for Saturday's second clash against the All Blacks in New Zealand 🫡#ForeverGreenForeverGold
“We’ve maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we’d like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.
“This is a vital match for our Rugby Championship campaign, and we feel some fresh legs and energy are what we need to come away with the desired result.”
Rassie added: “Every player in this squad knows we believe in them and back them, and this will serve as a great occasion for them to show us what they are capable of against a team such as the All Blacks.
“They have all done the job for us against some of the top teams in the world earlier this year, and others over the last few years, and we know they’ll relish this opportunity to face New Zealand in their backyard.”
History frowns on South Africa in Kiwi stadiums, but Sky Stadium has served up tight battles before, including a 16–16 draw in 2019.
Auckland’s Eden Park stands like an impregnable fortress, its walls echoing with a 31-year unbeaten symphony with 50 Tests without a South African win since 1994, and only a single draw breaking the Kiwis’ dominance on Saturday, 6 September 2025.
The Clash of the Titans between the All Blacks and the Springboks is arguably the most iconic rivalry in the game of rugby.
The Springboks, back-to-back World champions and hunters of history, arrive not with fear but with fire, determined to shatter the legend with brilliance and hard steel.
“Facing New Zealand away from home is always a challenge, and doing so at Eden Park makes both teams desperate… It’s going to be a nervy week for both teams.”
He also dismisses the “Eden Park hoodoo” as media myth: “It’s a 70 × 100 m field… there is a passionate crowd, but that’s about it.”
And in a rare statistical flourish: “History has shown you must score 28 points against New Zealand … if you want to beat them… you have to score tries.”
“It’ll be a hell of a fiery Test… South Africa played beautifully for a period of time… discipline and accuracy… you can force errors, and things can change quickly.”
His side, on the hunt for a renewed identity, is leaning on their creativity, tactical nous, and renowned ability to play the situation … as part of a longer-term plan to match the physicality of reigning world champions South Africa.”
Historical Canvas
Since 1921, this has been rugby’s most fervent rivalry. Eden Park holds a mythical edge for New Zealand. The last South African win here came in 1937, and only scattered visits since have challenged the narrative.
The modern Springboks, steered by Erasmus since 2018, have reasserted dominance, winning four straight against the All Blacks, including the 2023 RWC final
This clash smolders like two wildfire fronts colliding in a storm. South Africa’s forwards are iron-clad, a green tsunami crashing through scrums. Their backs glide like predators on the hunt with the likes of Cheslin Kolbe, Canan Moodie, and general Handre Pollard ready to pounce on any creaking gap.
Across the park, the All Blacks are coiled springs, massive, muscular and methodical. With Robertson’s “big bodies,” they’ll smash the breakdowns and let momentum ripple through their ranks.
Eden Park’s record looms like a dragon’s claw, but Erasmus’s men come not to worship that legend; they’ve sharpened their blades in smaller skirmishes and now march to conquer it. They believe that, with 28 points, they can tame the beast.
This test match is seen by both sides as a battleground where history, pride, and modern mastery intersect.
Will the Springboks’ raw power, chiselled precision and try-line ambition breach Eden’s walls? Or will the All Blacks, backed by homefield gravity and athletic brilliance, repulse them with ruthless accuracy and unpredictability?
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Stated, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacement: 16 Jan Hendrik Wessels, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Ethan Hooker.
Date: Saturday, September 6 Venue: Eden Park, Auckland Kick-off: 19.05 (09.05 SA time; 07.05 GMT) Expected weather: Clear and breezy, with wind gusts of 40+ km/h. Real Feel: 6°C Referee: Karl Dickson (England) Assistant referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Jordan Way (Australia) TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
History stands on the tryline. The Springboks return to Eden Park on Saturday, the All Blacks’ impenetrable fortress since 1994, chasing a first victory in Auckland since 1937.
“Playing against New Zealand in their backyard is special, and we don’t need more motivation than that” 💥#Springboks#ForeverGreenForeverGold
“Facing New Zealand away from home is always a challenge, and playing at Eden Park will make both teams equally desperate,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.
“There’s no doubt the players will throw everything out there on Saturday. There is a massive rivalry between the sides, and the history between us is tremendous.”
The Boks’ two lone wins at Eden Park came in 1921 and 1937. Since then, seven defeats and one draw have left the ground a graveyard of green-and-gold dreams.
Now Erasmus’ men, back-to-back World Champions and reigningRugby Championship holders, want to flip the script.
“Playing against New Zealand in their backyard… is special, and we don’t need more motivation than that. It’s going to be a nervy week for both teams,” he admitted.
Erasmus brushed off talk of Eden Park being an impossible fortress:
“People are making a big deal of the Eden Park record and, of course, it adds pressure. But if one looks back a few weeks ago, we lost against Australia at Ellis Park, and it’s now history.
For us, it’s a huge honour to get the chance to play at Eden Park, and it’s a great opportunity for us.”
And when asked if this was the biggest Test since the World Cup Final? His answer was blunt:
“It would be a slap in the face to Australia and Argentina for us to say this is the biggest game since then.”
With both sides ranked one and two in the world, Saturday’s Test match will be a collision of legacies and settle the argument for now as to who can claim the bragging rights of being the best rugby team on the planet.
