Only six Test-capped props are currently available for the Springboks, and three of them made their debuts this season.
The Test debut of South Africa’s youngest prop should be celebrated – and it was – when Zachary Porthen started at tighthead for the Springboks against Japan last weekend.
But the 21-year-old’s appearance also highlighted the Springbok injury dilemma at numbers one and three.
Only six props are in the current squad, and three of them made their debuts this year.
If depth isn’t restored by the end of the international season, the Boks could be scrambling in their preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
An endangered species
South African props are currently an endangered species. Porthen might not have played much for the Stormers this season if not for the unavailability of senior players, admitted coach John Dobson.
Yet he did more than that: he earned a call-up to the national side, and played well. If he hadn’t, the problem would be all too apparent.
Steven Kitshoff is retired. Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane are injured and may not return. Vincent Koch is also battling injury and has few Springbok caps this year.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels is banned. Neethling Fouché was recently injured and then unavailable while his son was in hospital.
Boan Venter and Thomas du Toit missed last week’s game because they play overseas and were ineligible for a fixture outside World Rugby’s official Test window.
Following Ox Nché’s latest injury, Asenathi Ntlabakanye was called into the squad despite his anti-doping case. He is only available because the substance found was “specified”, meaning he wasn’t provisionally suspended and can play until his December hearing.
Prop woes threaten Springbok scrum dominance
The scrum is central to the Springbok game plan and coach Rassie Erasmus prefers three players deep in each position.
Right now, only Venter and Gerhard Steenekamp are available at loosehead, and Porthen and Wilco Louw at tighthead, with Du Toit and Ntlabakanye able to play on both sides.
That is three deep, but only Louw, Du Toit and Steenekamp have more than one international season under their belt. Venter, Ntlabakanye and Porthen all debuted this year.
For other nations this might be normal, but for South Africa – used to incredible depth – it is nothing short of a crisis.
With just four matches left this season, the Springboks will need injured props to return as they test depth and combinations ahead of the World Cup.
