Former Junior Springbok captain Zachary Porthen will make his Springbok debut against Japan at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday as Bok coach Rassie Erasmus named a largely settled match-23 for the opening match of the November Internationals.

Erasmus named 16 players in his matchday squad that featured in the team’s 29-27 victory against Argentina in their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash earlier this month, which saw them clinch the title for the second year in a row.

Three players will make a welcome return to the squad having last featured earlier in the season, while two others, who have not been involved so far in 2025, are back in the green and gold.

Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing), Franco Mostert (utility forward), and Lood de Jager (lock) reclaim their places in the starting XV after missing the last few matches due to injuries and a family bereavement. Gerhard Steenekamp (prop) and Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) are back among the replacements after last featuring in the 2024 Castle Lager Outgoing Tour.

André Esterhuizen, who has become known as a hybrid player, has also been named on the replacements bench as a back-up loose forward, although he could be drafted into the backline if the need arises.

Ox Nche, Porthen – who will become the youngest prop to make his Test debut for the Springboks in the professional era – and Malcolm Marx will form a quality front row, while RG Snyman and De Jager will join forces in the engine room, and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will form a loose trio with Mostert and Jasper Wiese, completing a powerful pack for the match.

In the backline, Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will dictate play at halfback, with the exciting Arendse and Ethan Hooker on the wings, with Cheslin Kolbe moving from his regular wing position to fullback for the clash.

The experienced Japan-based centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel will partner up in the midfield.

On the replacements bench, Grobbelaar will unite with Steenekamp and Wilco Louw in the back-up front row, with Ruan Nortje providing lock cover, Esterhuizen covering flanker, and Kwagga Smith further loose forward cover. The two backs on the bench are playmakers Grant Williams and Manie Libbok, who will also play a crucial role in providing a notable impact off the bench.

“Six players in the group are currently plying their trade in Japan, and we believe their experience of playing in that league and either with or against some of their players will be a bonus for us, but I’m sure Japan will also tap into their knowledge of those players as they prepare for the match,” said Erasmus.

“It is also good to have a few players back in the mix after missing a few games due to various reasons, and one can sense their excitement to be back in the squad, so we felt this is the best team we could field against a quality Japan outfit, who will want to make a strong point against us.”

Of Porthen being named in the starting team in his first week with the squad, Erasmus said: “He proved at Vodacom United Rugby Championship level and with the Junior Springboks what he can do, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can offer in his first Test match.

“Obviously, he has a lot to learn this week, but we have experienced players in the squad who have been helping and guiding him, and we believe this is the right match to give him an opportunity to prove what he can do.

“At this level, you have to sink or swim, so although it will be a challenging week for him to learn our structures, it will also be a very exciting week for him.”

Commenting on the challenge Japan posed, Erasmus said it would be a tough encounter, especially if one looks at the strides they have made in the last few years.

“They are a quality team, and they have a top coach in Eddie Jones, so we have no doubt they’ll throw everything at us,” said Erasmus.

“They beat us in 2015, and they showed what a quality outfit they are in the first half of our 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-final against them, so we are expecting them to come out guns blazing.

“They also lost by only four points against Australia last weekend, which is a testament to the improvement they have been making, so we need to be sharp on attack and defence if we want to get the result.

“Very little separates the top teams in the world, and if you are not on your game both mentally and physically on the day, anything can happen. So, we will treat them with the utmost respect, and we also know how important this match will be to set the tone for the rest of our tour.”

The match kicks off at 18h10 (SA time) and will be broadcast live and exclusively on SuperSport.

Springbok team to face Japan in London:

15 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 46 caps, 126 points (21t, 3c, 5p)

14 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 5 caps, 0 points

13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 84 caps, 95 points (19t)

12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 93 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 27 caps, 105 points (21t)

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) - 15 caps, 104 points (3t, 28c, 11p)

9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 46 caps, 85 pts (17t)

8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 39 caps, 10 points (2t)

7 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 81 caps, 20 points (4t)

6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 98 caps, 65 points (13t)

5 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 71 caps, 25 points (5t)

4 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 46 caps, 15 points (3t)

3 Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers) – uncapped

2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 84 caps, 135 pts (27t)

1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 46 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 points

17 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 11 caps, 5 points (1t)

18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 24 caps, 0 pts

19 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 13 caps, 0 pts

20 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 24 caps, 10 pts (2t)

21 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 59 caps, 55 points (11t)

22 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 24 caps, 25 pts (5t)

23 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 24 caps, 133 pts (2t, 42c, 13p)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against Japan

Played 3; Won 2; Lost 1; Drawn 0; Points for: 99, Points against: 44; Tries scored 12, Tries conceded 4; Highest score 41-7; Biggest winning margin 34 points. Win % 66.7%.

Miscellaneous:

• The Springboks’ only defeat against Japan was in 2015, when they went down 34-32 in Brighton in their Rugby World Cup pool opener.
• The last time the teams crossed paths was in the 2019 RWC quarter-final in Tokyo, where the Boks registered a 26-3 victory, and went on to be crowned the world champions for the third time in history.
• Siya Kolisi will play his 99^th Test match, leaving him only one game short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
• Zachary Porthen captained the Junior Springboks last year and will become Springbok #953 on Saturday.
• Jesse Kriel has scored 95 Test points in his 84 Tests and requires only five to make it to 100 in the green and gold.
• The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up are 781.There are 316 caps in the backline, with 465 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further182 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is45, the forwards 58, while the players on the bench average 23.