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Dobbo sings Porthen’s praise after SA Rugby nomination

Stormers boss John Dobson believes 21-year-old tighthead prop Zachary Porthen is certainly deserving of his SA Rugby Young Player of the Year nomination. The director of rugby praised his union’s 2024/25 U21 captain and current senior team player, who made his Test debut last November, becoming South Africa’s youngest-ever Springbok prop. He earned Test caps against Japan, Italy and Wales during South Africa’s end-of-year tour, proving solid in the scrums and general play. ‘Exceptional’ general play The latter was where Dobson’s praise was focused, as the former Junior Springbok captain initially had to improve his set-piece play. “He definitely deserves the nomination,” the Stormers boss said. “I’m quite pleased because if you look at the last three [Stormers] U21 captains, from Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu], to Paul de Villiers, to Zach – it’s magic. “His general game has always been exceptional. We selected a 20-year-old tighthead against Benetton who had two international looseheads, and he got a scrum penalty, in April last year. Tightheads are meant to come in at 25, 26. The fact that he is doing it at U21 is great.” ALSO READ | SA Rugby Player of the Year awards: All the nominees Porthen improves his scrum performance Dobson said the Stormers needed Porthen to up his scrum strength, and the youngster did this through help from scrum coaches Brok Harris (Stormers) and Daan Human (Springboks). Furthermore, experience would only make him stronger in the set-piece. “I think the work he has done… is exceptional. If he can tick the scrum power, which he has clearly done now, he is a special player. “I wouldn’t like do a ranking order of our tightheads now with the way he’s playing. He got scrum penalties last week. He’s also a leader as well. “I can’t think of a tighthead playing in South Africa now with his general movement. The way he tackles and carries… I think he’s going to be in the national mix for a very long time.”

57 minutes ago

‘Die Kantoor’: Q&A with Albert Pretorius – the Rassie Erasmus of polony from SA’s ‘The Office’

More than two decades have passed since Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant introduced audiences to the brilliantly bleak mockumentary universe of The Office. The original British version is considered one of the best comedy series of all time, while the American adaptation claimed five Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and became the most-streamed show globally in 2020. This widespread appeal has spawned remakes for audiences worldwide, with the proudly South African version – Die Kantoor — marking the winning format’s 14th international adaptation. When and where to watch ‘Die Kantoor’ The first episode will preview on kykNET at 8pm this Sunday, 18 January, ahead of the Showmax double-bill premiere on Tuesday, 20 January, followed by an episode a week on both platforms. WATCH: First-look trailer The first-look trailer released this week gives South Africans a taste of 2025 Fleur du Cap and Woordfees winner Albert Pretorius (Niggies; Nêrens, Noord-Kaap) as Flip, the manager at polony distributors Deluxe Processed Meats. ‘Die Kantoor’: Schalk Bezuidenhout and more Schalk Bezuidenhout promises to spice things up in the Showmax Original ‘Die Kantoor’. Picture: Supplied In addition to Pretorius, the cast includes Safta winner Schalk Bezuidenhout (Kanarie, Hotel), screen legend Lida Botha (Die Kwiksilvers), Carl Beukes (Jozi, The Shakedown), Silwerskerm winner Ilse Oppelt (Oh Schuks I’m Gatvol, Fishy Fêshuns), Daniah de Villiers (Mia in Mia and the White Lion), Mehboob Bawa (Bhai in Bhai’s Cafe), former KFM presenter Sipumziwe Lucwaba, and newcomer Gert du Plessis. Rapid-fire Q&A with Albert Pretorius – Flip from ‘Die Kantoor’ The manager is an iconic role that earned both Ricky Gervais and Steve Carell their first Golden Globes. Did you feel the pressure? Yes, it’s a scary one; this is one of the dream ones. Very few people ever get to play a role this big. Tell us about Flip… Flip thinks of himself as the Rassie Erasmus of polony. In his mind, the documentary crew is making his Chasing the Sun, about how he’s taking this team to the next level. He grew up watching Leon Schuster, so he also loves Candid Camera pranks and is trying to bring those into the documentary, too. Albert Pretorius steps into the role of Flip in ‘Die Kantoor’. Picture: Supplied He’s grappling with what it means to be a man – an Afrikaans man – but he doesn’t realise that a lot of the qualities he aspires to are archaic. Or that he actually has very few of these qualities. That’s where the comedy lies, because he tries so bloody hard just to be liked. Isn’t that what cringe is? People trying their best by being the absolute worst. Were you a fan of ‘The Office’ before you started shooting? I watched the UK version in drama school at UCT and didn’t realise it was fake for the first 15 minutes. Then I was like, “You guys! Oh, wow! Okay, okay, this is genius.” I loved it so much that I refused to watch the American version at first. But that one carried me through Covid. They’re very different but both brilliant. Which did you prefer? I can’t say. I love the cringe of the UK one and the heart of the American one. Ricky Gervais (left) and Steve Carrel as David Brent in the British version of ‘The Office’ and Michael Scott in the US version, respectively. Pictures: Screengrabs/ YouTube I love Ricky Gervais: He’s the original, and it’s his brainchild. But there’s also something about Steve Carrel, and I think his relationship with Holly is one of the most beautiful romances in the history of TV. Which one is ‘Die Kantoor‘ closest to? We have our own sense of humour, so ours is different from both. It’s not quite the UK cringe or as over-the-top as the American humour. It’s something else again. Also binge the American version of The Office S1-S9 and its spin-off, The Paper, on Showmax.

4 hours ago