Rassie Erasmus backs 'fearless' Springboks debutant Zachary Porthen against Japan

Two years after guiding South Africa to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles, Rassie Erasmus is still not afraid to roll the dice.

The Springbok coach has handed rookie prop Zachary Porthen a Test debut at the iconic Wembley Stadium when the world champions face Japan on Saturday evening.

The 21-year-old former Junior Springbok captain, who impressed in the United Rugby Championship with the Stormers, will become the youngest prop to start for South Africa in the professional era. With Thomas du Toit unavailable due to English Premiership rest protocols, Erasmus has turned to the "fearless" Cape Town native for what promises to be a fierce front-row battle.

It’s a big call, but one that typifies Erasmus’s bold streak. Instead of easing Porthen in from the bench, the Bok boss has thrown him straight into the starting line-up alongside seasoned campaigners Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche.

“Thomas is not available for this game purely because of the Premiership rulings and their rest periods,” Erasmus explained at his team announcement in London.

“He’ll only be available next week, so we’ve gone with Zach, and on the bench we have guys like Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, and Wilco Louw — all of whom are used to scrumming together.”

“Giving Zach a chance next to really experienced guys like Malcolm and Ox — sometimes getting a young guy in like that, you know they are fearless and can just enjoy the moment. Sometimes putting them on the bench builds up nerves. We’ll see on Saturday whether it’s the right call or the wrong call.”

Japan, coached by Eddie Jones, have made major strides in their set-piece play and scrummed impressively against Australia last week — a fact not lost on Erasmus.

“It’s definitely not going to be an easy game for him,” the coach admitted. “They scrummed well against Australia, got 100% of their own ball, and only gave away a couple of penalties.

"He’s probably one of the few guys in the group who hasn’t had much time to adapt to all our systems — the way we train, maul, defend, all of that takes a lot of information. But you don’t want to find that out in the last 20 minutes of a tight game, so we just thought it’s better to start him with that solid lock pairing behind him.”

Behind the decision lies a quiet confidence in the player’s natural gifts and the system that produced him. Porthen is another product of South Africa’s successful Elite Player Development programme, which continues to churn out Test-ready talent.

“Personally, I don’t know him well,” Erasmus said, “but Daan (Human) has worked with him in our EPD structures, and whenever you talk to Dave or the coaches who have had him, they all say he’s a natural athlete. Ollie le Roux and Os du Randt were young when they made their debuts — it’s a similar story.”

The Bok mentor says Porthen has taken the challenge in his stride. “He understands why we are starting him and with who. He’s excited, obviously nervous too, but there’s a team around him to make sure he succeeds.”

While Porthen’s debut grabbed the headlines, Erasmus also fielded questions about André Esterhuizen’s unusual bench role. The powerful midfielder has been listed among the forwards but will also provide backline cover — a reflection of his growing versatility.

“André could’ve been at 22 or 23 if we wanted to,” Erasmus explained. “He’s covering both flank and centre for us. You can call it a 5–3 or 6–2 split, but we’ve been working with him in that hybrid role. I think it’ll actually give him more game time.”

Erasmus also touched on the ongoing disciplinary appeal involving Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who is currently serving a nine-match suspension in the URC.

“We’re not bringing anyone in until we hear the outcome,” he confirmed. “We’ve got enough cover if there’s an injury before Saturday, and Marco van Staden is still available. Hopefully the result goes his way in the appeal.”

Springbok team to face Japan at Wembley Stadium:

15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach; 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.

Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.