John Dobson admits the Stormers didn’t expect to see tighthead prop Zach Porthen scrumming down at loosehead for the Springboks.
The 21-year-old made his Test debut against Japan last month before featuring against Italy and Wales.
In Cardiff, Porthen was part of the 7-1 “Nuke Squad” that came on in the 50th minute. He replaced Bulls loosehead Gerhard Steenekamp and delivered a composed performance on the other side of the scrum.
On Thursday, Stormers coach John Dobson said the franchise remains fully committed to developing Porthen as a tighthead prop, but won’t stand in the Boks’ way if they see value in testing him on the other side of the scrum.
“Yeah, I think [scrum coach] Brok [Harris] is going to have a conversation with Daan [Human],” Dobson said. “We’ve only ever used Zach as a tighthead. That’s where we think something really special lies.
“We weren’t expecting [his loosehead cameo] at all. But if Daan feels there’s a possibility there and it’s in the national interest, then of course we’ll support it.”
MORE: Dobbo ‘expecting something special’
But Dobson emphasised that Porthen’s strengths extend far beyond set-piece dominance.
“He’s amazing around the field: his defence, his carrying, the way he kills breakdowns … he’s got a phenomenal all-round game,” he said.
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