If Frans Malherbe makes a full recovery from his back injury, something that apparently appears more likely now than it did a few months ago, the DHL Stormers could find themselves heading into next season with four Springbok tighthead props.
Four, surely that can’t be right? Well, it is - the Ceres farmer Wilco Louw will be returning to the region that reared him next season after his years away at first London club Harlequins. Then the Bulls, then there’s Neethling Fouche, an experienced player who has now finally been Bok capped, and the new kid on the block, Zachary Porthen.
Add Malherbe, and that makes four, and if you need further ammunition to argue that the Stormers have a scrum factory that they are drawing on you can look at the loosehead side too. There was some alarm when Steven Kitshoff was forced to retire.
Still, although he has yet to play as he recovers from injury, Stormers director of rugby John Dobson speaks highly of the ability of newcomer Ntuthuko Mchunu (as by the way does his former franchise coach John Plumtree).
Then there’s another former KZN schoolboy in Vernon Matongo, who has learned quickly and who Fouche last year tipped to become an international great. Fouche will know as he has scrummed against Matongo a lot in training. Not forgetting too that in veteran Ali Vermaak the Stormers have a player who is rated by many players as one of the most underrated looseheads in the country.
The players who he has scrummed against on a daily basis in training would be acknowledged by Matongo as one of the reasons he has developed quicker than the likes of Dobson expected him to and helped sweep away any talk of the Stormers being short on the left side of the scrum.
Remembering too that they also have the highly promising young Junior Bok star Oliver Reid on their books, with Dobson handing him his first cap as a 19-year-old a few weeks back.
INCREDIBLY YOUNG FOR A TIGHTHEAD
But it is Porthen, on the other side of the scrum, who is all the talk at the Cape franchise now after his call up to the Bok end of year tour, and rightly so as 21 is incredibly young for a tighthead prop. Players in that position tend to mature at 31, so he’s got 10 years of improvement in him.
Malherbe was the last tighthead to make waves at such a young age, but his call-up to international honours came a few years later. He went on to become the recognised best in the world in his position when he helped the Boks win two World Cups.
Porthen, last year’s Junior Bok captain, was still playing for Western Province under-21s three weeks ago, so it was fair to ask Rito Hlungwani, the Stormers forwards coach, if he was surprised the player has been selected for the Boks so soon.
“I’d say I am more happy than suprised. You never know when it will come (the call-up) so it is more a celebration, emphasising to everyone else that opportunity can come when you least expect it,” said Hlungwani.
“It means we are doing something right. We are really, really proud of Zachary’s achievement as it is a boost for everyone in the coaching staff, from scrum coach Brok Harris right through the group. Everyone who helps each and every player has something to be proud of. It does let us know we are doing something right.
“It is not a surprise because Zach at training sessions has been scrumming against the best looseheads in the world. He scrummed against Kitsie (Kitshoff) when he was very young. He has also scrummed against someone who in my opinion is one of the best attacking looseheads in the world in Ali Vermaak. He has scrummed extensively against Sti Sithole (now with the Bulls).
“So he has been training in fire for months, for almost two years. You have to learn a lot out of that. It has been great to see him develop into the player he is becoming, and to get the recognition he has.”
SCRUMMING ON SHARP IMPROVEMENT CURVE
One of the reasons Dobson held Porthen back for his first start until last week’s game against Zebre, after he made his first appearance for the Stormers as a replacement late last season, was because he felt Porthen’s scrumming wasn’t developed enough.
However, earlier in this campaign Dobson admitted that Porthen had surprised him in that regard and it was an easy selection for him to make when Sazi Sandi was injured ahead of last week’s game in Parma.
“There has definitely been lots of improvement (in his scrumming),” said Hlungwani. “He’s always had the soft skills, he’s mobile and has a high work rate, but in scrumming he had a lot to learn, as he is young for that position. He still has a lot to learn. As a tighthead you need to learn by making mistakes, but getting scrummed.
“We are going to see a lot of him going forward. He has incredible potential, and was playing for our under-21 team just a few weeks ago. But when given his opportunity he put his hand up.
"He is one person who has learned so quickly. His scrumming has really improved and I am incredibly excited as right now he is just at the beginning of what he is going to become.”