All Blacks: Whitelock's stature grows on tour

Sam Whitelock (right) says he became a stronger player despite being used as a reserve in the Tri-Nations campaign. Photo / Getty Images

Sam Whitelock may have quickly gained a reputation as a man who will take a backward step for no one, but mum's still the boss off the field.

The 22-year-old lock has impressed not only with his rapid adaptation to the demands of test rugby, but also his ability to grow a beard.

"After I played against Southland [in the Ranfurly Shield challenge for Canterbury], I didn't shave for a couple of weeks and when I got over here it was starting to show a bit of nice, dark colour, so I thought I'd keep it for the rest of the tour," Whitelock explained.

It has a limited shelf-life, though, to the dismay of those who are impressed with its old-school qualities.

"I've got a wedding when I get home so mum will definitely make me shave it off then, so it's here for a week or two more and then it's gone."

We'll be seeing more of Whitelock though, sans beard, having done as much as any All Black on this tour in establishing himself as a genuine international second rower, making strong starts against England and Scotland and following those with a try-scoring effort off the bench against Ireland after Tom Donnelly left the field with a tour-ending knee injury.

"I'm really happy with the way I've been playing and the amount of time I've been getting as well," Whitelock said.

The Manawatu product is being shaped and moulded in Canterbury, but he puts his development as a test player down to increased self-confidence.

"I'm not doing anything massively different [on this tour]," he said. "At the start of the year, in my first test I was probably a little bit shy and wasn't sure how to express myself, but I'm a little bit more confident now within the team environment."

Controversially pulled out of the ITM Cup for five weeks despite being used as a reserve only during the June and Tri-Nations' campaigns, Whitelock resisted at first but now sees the benefits.

"I didn't get a lot bigger, but I got a bit stronger. It was the freshening up too. It's paying dividends."

What was looking a problem position ahead of the World Cup - with Ali Williams' injury woes and the failure of Isaac Ross to kick on - now looks like an area of depth, especially following Anthony Boric's break-out test against Ireland.

"Sam's playing exceptionally well," coach Graham Henry said. "He's a young guy we thought had a big future and he's getting better week by week."