At 22 and approaching his sixth Test cap, Zachary Porthen is refreshingly clear-eyed about where he sits relative to Wilco Louw — and it's not false modesty. In a Rugby365 interview ahead of the Boks' clash against Argentina in Buenos Aires, Porthen describes Louw's scrummaging as 'mesmerising' and frames it as the benchmark he's still working toward, particularly after Louw's move to the Stormers will put them in the same environment next season. The piece also touches on Porthen's training habits — he sets specific improvement targets session by session — and how scrumming against the likes of Boan Venter in training has him confident for the Los Pumas test. Erasmus's public comparison of Porthen to Louw earlier this year adds context: the succession plan looks deliberate, and Porthen seems to understand exactly what's expected of him.
Porthen sets his sights on Louw's standard ahead of Buenos Aires test
Porthen names Louw as the standard he's chasing, explains his session-by-session improvement mindset, and looks ahead to his sixth Test cap off the bench in Buenos Aires.
- Wilco Louw
- Springboks
- Argentina
- DHL Stormers
- Rassie Erasmus
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
Lekker! Hola! Head to https://squarespace.com/squidgerugby to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code SQUIDGERUGBY
England should steal Rassie's two-squad playbook for their impossible summer schedule
Nick Easter argues England must adopt Rassie's split-squad model to survive a brutal summer window, and backs it up with a detailed first-choice XV for Ellis Park — with Fiji, not South Africa, flagged as the most dangerous fixture.
Dobson's best problem: too many world-class tightheads
Dobson maps out the Stormers' tighthead selection headache for next season — Louw's return means four Test-level props competing for two spots, and keeping Sazi Sandi engaged while Springboks dominate the rotation is the kind of problem that's genuinely hard to solve.
Jake White wants SA Rugby to bring back the overseas selection ban
Jake White is calling for SA Rugby to reinstate overseas selection restrictions, arguing the current policy has enriched the Springboks while leaving franchises structurally unable to compete in the Champions Cup against far wealthier European clubs.
Dobson: Kolbe returning to win trophies, not to wind down
John Dobson says Cheslin Kolbe has made a major financial sacrifice to return to the Stormers, motivated by winning trophies rather than winding down his career, while warning the franchise is close to its limit on high-profile signings.