YOUNG Springbok prop Zachary Porthen attributes his growth to rubbing shoulders with the gnarled seniors.
Young Zach Porthen, all 125kgs of him, is soaking up skills from the Springboks seniors to the extent that he could leapfrog some of them.
Well, kind of… While it is true that Bulls monster Wilco Louw has been left out of the match-23 for Saturday’s encounter with England, coach Rassie Erasmus said this is as much down to Porthen’s impressive scrumming in training sessions as it is to Louw needing a break after an arduous URC season with the Bulls.
The point is that if Erasmus did not feel Porthen could do the job as a replacement for tighthead starter Thomas du Toit, he would not have given Louw a rest.
Porthen, who made his debut against Japan last year, feels he has grown significantly since then because he has literally rubbed shoulders with the gnarled seniors.
