Zach Porthen says Springbok scrum training is deliberately engineered to be more demanding than match conditions, with scrum coach Daan Human pushing props into what Porthen describes as "dark places" to ensure game intensity holds no surprises.
Porthen, set to earn his fourth Test cap off the bench against England at Ellis Park on Saturday, says the calibre of opposition in training is a major driver of that difficulty. "Ox [Nché], Gerhard [Steenekamp], Boan [Venter] — all of them are beasts. Every time you scrum against them you learn a different skill every time," the Stormers tighthead said. "Going to that dark place is something I've learned a lot from in these environments."
The 22-year-old made his Test debut against Japan last November, adding caps against Italy and Wales on the end-of-year tour. He says the improvement since that debut has been both technical and mental, crediting the daily influence of senior props. "Every day you're picking their brains. I feel more competent because of the small things you learn from a Thomas du Toit, a Wilco Louw."
Porthen was candid about scrumming's complexity, noting that even the most experienced props in the squad acknowledge they have not fully mastered it. "You're never going to have it all down. You could neglect one thing, master another and then neglect that again."
Despite the internal competition for Test places, Porthen says the prop group reviews sessions collectively — watching footage and debriefing together regardless of which side of the scrum they pack down on. "Tightheads are obviously competing, but we all understand the bigger picture, which is for South Africa to win. It's also tightheads helping other tightheads."