Why Louw Was Dropped: Erasmus Explains Springbok Team Selection To Face England

Wilco Louw’s omission from the Springboks’ matchday squad to face England was influenced by a combination of personal circumstances, the physical toll of a demanding season and the emergence of in-form tighthead prop Zachary Porthen, according to coach Rassie Erasmus.

Louw enjoyed an outstanding campaign with the Bulls, cementing his status as one of South Africa’s leading tighthead props. However, after carrying a heavy workload throughout the season, culminating in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final against Leinster, Erasmus believes the powerful front-rower will benefit from an extra week of recovery.

Erasmus also revealed that Louw has endured a difficult period away from rugby. His father passed away in April after a long illness, and the prop is in the process of relocating his family from Pretoria to Cape Town following his move to the Stormers.

“Not to get into his personal life, but there was some illness in his family that led to a family bereavement. He was ill in one game, and he has had a tough last five or six weeks,” Erasmus explained.

The Springbok coach stressed that Louw’s omission should not be viewed as a demotion but rather as an opportunity to manage his workload while rewarding Porthen for his impressive performances in training.

“We also worked with Zach a week longer. Zach coming off the bench is a really mobile prop and has really impressed us at training,” Erasmus said.

“We feel Wilco just needs an extra week to settle in after his body took a hammering over the past few weeks. That’s the reason.”

Erasmus was full of praise for Porthen’s development behind the scenes, highlighting the quality of opposition he has faced during training.

“Zach is scrumming against guys like Ox (Nche) and Gerhard Steenekamp, and what we see in training is that he is doing a great job. We feel he can do a good job for us, especially at altitude.”

The Springbok coach also pointed to England’s likely game plan as another factor behind the selection.

“If you look at England’s team, they’re youthful and mobile, and we feel we might need that mobility in the game.”

While Louw remains firmly in South Africa’s plans, Erasmus’ comments underline just how highly Porthen is rated within the Springbok setup.

The Springboks are continuing to show a willingness to rotate players, carefully manage workloads and reward those who consistently impress in camp as they build squad depth for a demanding international season and, ultimately, the 2027 Rugby World Cup.