Porthen is set for Springbok bench duty against England, but the young prop's confidence comes from somewhere specific — he argues the rugby he's already faced has been a tougher school than most. The piece digs into what that 'dark place' looks like for a prop still building his Test CV, and why he believes it's already made him ready for whatever Boks camp can throw at him.
AnalysisSpringboksSA Rugby Mag · Springboks.Rugby (Official)· updated
Zach Porthen on being forged before the Test stage
Porthen previews his England bench role with the conviction that his pre-Test career has already put him through a harder grind than most — the piece unpacks what that means for his Bok readiness.
Related stories
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
Nché injury concern headlining Bok casualty list ahead of Scotland clash at Loftus
Rassie Erasmus is sweating over the fitness of Ox Nché, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and André Esterhuizen ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus, after all four picked up injuries during or before the 45-21 win over England at Ellis Park.
The Northampton blueprint: England's altitude cheat code for Ellis Park?
The piece asks whether Northampton and Bristol's recent Loftus wins give England a replicable blueprint for Ellis Park — and with six Saints players likely starting, Borthwick's side may be banking on exactly that altitude formula.
Watson: Kolbe is England's biggest headache — but Bok versatility is the real danger
Watson names Kolbe as England's biggest individual concern but argues the Boks' real edge is their ability to change tactical identity based on which fly-half starts — a flexibility that makes them uniquely hard to prepare for.
Smith vows England will 'leave it all out there' against Springboks
Marcus Smith says England's 36-man squad, arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday, are targeting a historic win over the Springboks in the Nations Championship opener, having trained in oxygen masks to prepare for the Highveld.