The powerful 21-year-old forward – who made history by becoming the youngest Springbok prop to take the field in the professional era – made a strong statement as the Junior Springbok captain only last year, and he was still in awe on Saturday night about making his senior debut.
“It was honestly unreal,” said Porthen, who scrummed strongly, hit 13 rucks, made nine tackles and a carry in his 48 minutes on the field.
“It was a dream come true to be on the same field as all those guys (who I’ve looked up to). I could only dream of it before, and now it has come true. It’s crazy.
“This is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life, and it is certainly the highlight of my career so far. I’m grateful to be here, and I hope I can stay here. That’s the next step.”
Commenting on his baptism of fire after making his Test debut only five days after joining the squad for the first time, Porthen said the more experienced players in the group kept him at ease throughout the week, which gave him confidence going into the game.
“The rugby was quick, just as I thought it would be, but what gave me confidence was the guys around me,” said Porthen.
“They prepped me well and kept reminding me through the week that if something goes wrong, it’s a team thing, and said Zac, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. That gave me confidence, and it was great.”
Of his performance, he said: “I thought I did all right. I obviously have a lot to learn, but there are also things I can be proud of. That said, I’ll go back to the drawing board and learn. I’ve already spoken to coach Daan (Human – Bok scrum coach) and he said we have a couple of things we have to get into.
“The level of rugby was completely different, but it was nice that I got to this stage, and I feel I’ll be a little bit better next time because I now know what to expect.”
Porthen also had no doubt the match against Japan would set him in good stead for the rest of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour as the Boks prepare to take on France on Saturday, followed by clashes against Italy (15 November), Ireland (22 November), and Wales (29 November).
Now that he’s had a taste of Springbok rugby, Porthen said the experience set him in good standing for the rest of the tour: “Obviously, it was my first game and that in itself was like preparation for the rest of the tour. That said, I’m going to take it one step, day, and training session at a time, and do exactly what the coaches expect from me. If Rassie (Erasmus – Bok head coach) says Zac do this, I’m going to do exactly that.”
Porthen admitted that he was surprised to make his Springbok debut at such a young age, but he was delighted about the privilege.
“I didn’t think it would come as quickly as it did,” said the young prop. “I had a different plan for myself and that was to become more established at the DHL Stormers. I thought this would happen over the course of maybe four or five years. But God had a different plan and now I’m here.”
The Springboks departed for Paris on Sunday, and will return to the training field on Monday to begin their preparations for the France Test.
AloJapan.com