Zachary Porthen and Batho Hlekani step into the global spotlight on Saturday, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane says “one city, two big South African kids” headline a weekend that showcases the future of Springbok rugby.
“This is Porthen’s day in a Bok jersey, and it’s Hlekani’s afternoon in black-and-white hoops, and together they frame the future of Springbok rugby with a swagger that feels inevitable,” he writes.
At Wembley Stadium, 21-year-old Porthen becomes the youngest tighthead prop to start for the Boks in the professional era when they face Japan. Across town at Brentford, 20-year-old Hlekani will make his Barbarians debut against an All Blacks XV.
“Porthen’s ticked every leadership box you could ask of a 21-year-old prop,” Keohane notes, pointing to his rise from Wynberg Boys’ High captain to Junior Springbok skipper. “When he runs out at Wembley, it won’t be a cameo — it will be an arrival.”
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As for Hlekani, Keohane describes him as “the shockwave – six foot three, 115 kilos, a lock/flank hybrid who carries like a truck and hunts like a hyena.”
Born in Zwide, the same township that produced Siya Kolisi, Hlekani has “answered every higher ask” on his way to the international stage.
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For Keohane, the double billing in London – the Boks at Wembley and the Barbarians in Brentford – is more than a festival of rugby.
“It’s a celebration of South Africa’s youth movement stepping onto the biggest of stages,” he concludes.
Photo: Paul Harding/Gallo Images
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