Zachary Porthen says he’s still “in awe” after becoming the youngest Springbok prop of the professional era.
Having said that though, his focus now is on making sure his debut in green and gold isn’t a once-off.
The 21-year-old made his long-awaited Test debut in the emphatic 61-7 victory over Japan at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. It was a milestone that capped a whirlwind few days for the former Junior Springbok captain, who only joined the senior squad five days earlier.
“It was honestly unreal,” said Porthen. “It was a dream come true to be on the same field as all those guys I’ve looked up to. I could only dream of it before, and now it’s come true. It’s crazy.”
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Porthen made an immediate impression in his 48 minutes on the park, scrumming strongly, hitting 13 rucks, making nine tackles and one carry in an assured first outing. But the young Stormers tighthead was quick to credit his teammates for keeping him calm in the build-up.
“The rugby was quick, just as I thought it would be, but what gave me confidence was the guys around me,” he said. “They kept reminding me that if something goes wrong, it’s a team thing. They said, ‘Zac, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.’ That gave me confidence, and it was great.”
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Porthen’s humility and willingness to learn also came through as he reflected on the step up from provincial to Test level.
“I thought I did all right. I obviously have a lot to learn, but there are also things I can be proud of,” he said. “I’ve already spoken to [scrum] coach Daan [Human] and he said we have a couple of things to work on. The level of rugby was completely different, but I feel I’ll be a little bit better next time because I now know what to expect.”
Porthen, who captained the Junior Boks just last year, says his debut was not only a dream fulfilled, but also part of a plan he hadn’t foreseen for himself.
“I didn’t think it would come as quickly as it did,” he admitted. “I had a different plan for myself, and that was to become more established at the Stormers first. I thought this would happen over maybe four or five years. But God had a different plan and now I’m here.”
The Springboks have now travelled to Paris to begin preparations for Saturday’s clash with France – the first of four stern tests on their end-of-year tour, followed by fixtures against Italy, Ireland and Wales.
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And after ticking off one dream, Porthen says his next goal is clear.
“This is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” he said. “I’m grateful to be here, and I hope I can stay here. That’s the next step.”
“When I got that call, I didn’t believe it, I thought it was a joke!”
Zach Porthen reflects on his Springbok debut against Japan last night
Watch the full reaction from Wembley Stadium on YouTube
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Photo: Luke Walker/Getty Images
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