Born in South Africa, but Scottish-qualified through his grandfather, Matthew Pritchard is yet another young talent to emerge from the Eastern Cape. Having attended one of South Africa’s oldest rugby-playing schools, Pritchard has steadily risen through the ranks as a humble and hard-working front ranker. His commitment to conditioning has meant that Matthew soon outshone his contemporaries and made the rare leap to 1^st XV (U19) whilst still only 16-years-old. Three years in the Kingswood College 1^st XV has seen Pritchard test himself against some of the best schoolboys in the country, emerging as a mobile and powerful ball-carrier who dispatches would-be defenders with a strong fend and destructive leg drive.

A technically mature loosehead prop, Pritchard’s pace and dependable lineout throwing convinced coaches to entrust him with the hooking berth, a move that drew provincial attention. It came as no surprise when Matthew was called up to the Eastern Province U18 High Performance Squad in 2020, all set to dominate the U18 Craven Week, before Covid-19 led to the tournament’s cancellation. Aside from his heritage, the all-round skillset, pillaging ability and enforcer-like defensive hits, has led many a pundit to liken him to an emerging Stuart McInally, with a hint of Schalk Brits.