Zachary Porthen is about to dive headfirst into international waters, and there’ll be no shallow end at Wembley.
The 21-year-old prop, a former Junior Springbok captain, will make history on Saturday as the youngest front-rower ever to debut for South Africa in the professional era.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has tossed Porthen the ball, and perhaps a life jacket, as the Boks prepare to scrum down against Japan in their opening clash of the November Internationals.
@RassieRugby picks prodigiously, promising prop #ZachPorthen (21) to prove his potential on debut for @Springboks against @JRFURugby at Wembley on Saturday. #SAvsJapan https://t.co/MuAKMJgklo pic.twitter.com/6YgKQOomaz
— Adnaan Mohamed (@Adnaan1111) October 28, 2025
For the Cape-born powerhouse, it’s “sink or swim” time in the heaving surf of Test rugby.
“He proved at United Rugby Championship level and with the Junior Springboks what he can do, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can offer in his first Test match,” Erasmus said.
“Obviously he has a lot to learn this week, but we have experienced players in the squad who have been helping and guiding him.
“We believe this is the right match to give him an opportunity to prove what he can do. At this level, you have to sink or swim.”
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."#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/NqtzIUai83
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 28, 2025
Erasmus has largely stuck with the tried-and-tested combinations that sealed the Rugby Championship title earlier this month, naming 16 survivors from the 29–27 win over Argentina.
The Bok coach has only tweaked the mix with a few fresh legs and familiar faces returning from injury to steady the scrum.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, Franco Mostert, and Lood de Jager reclaim their jerseys after time on the sidelines, while Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar rejoin the bench brigade.
The backline, meanwhile, looks poised to cut through Japanese defences.
Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu continues as the game drivers with Arendse and Ethan Hooker patrolling the wings.
In the absence of the injured Damian Willemse, the versatile Cheslin Kolbe shifts to fullback to add extra spark to an already potent backline.
“It is good to have a few players back in the mix after missing a few games due to various reasons, and one can sense their excitement to be back in the squad,” Erasmus said.
“We felt this is the best team we could field against a quality Japan outfit, who will want to make a strong point against us.”
Erasmus also believes his six Japan-based players could provide an inside track.
“Their experience of playing in that league and either with or against some of their players will be a bonus for us, but I’m sure Japan will also tap into their knowledge of those players as they prepare for the match,” he noted.
Facing a side coached by the wily Eddie Jones, Erasmus knows Japan won’t roll over.
“They are a quality team, and they have a top coach in Eddie Jones, so we have no doubt they’ll throw everything at us,” he said.
For Porthen, the youngest prop to wear green and gold in the modern era, this is no gentle paddle.
It’s a brutal, beautiful baptism of Test rugby at full tide where reputations are forged in the scrum’s dark furnace.
Come Saturday, we’ll find out whether Porthen’s prodigious potential will rise to the surface with the promise he has already proven as a youngster.
