Sam Whitelock backs Ruben van Heerden to shine for Barbarians against Springboks

All Black legend Sam Whitelock is backing Stormers lock Ruben van Heerden to make his mark against the Springboks on Saturday in the colours of the Barbarians.

Whitelock, assistant coach of the invitational side, spoke highly of the 27-year-old Van Heerden who will relish the chance to measure himself against the Bok locks at the Cape Town Stadium (5.10pm start) after an outstanding United Rugby Championship season.

Despite the strong campaign for the Stormers, Van Heerden was unlucky not to get a call-up from the national side.

But with an abundance of locks, the world champions are in a fortunate position with depth.

The next best thing for Van Heerden would be to show the selectors that he wants to stay in the Bok conversation, and a good performance for the Baabaas can help with that.

According to Whitelock, a lineout expert in his 153-Test career for New Zealand, he’s had a couple of conversations with Van Heerden and will keep his door open for him.

It’s been cool. We’ve had a bit of time to catch up, and have a yarn about rugby and what I am doing now,” Whitelock said about his chats with Van Heerden.

“Some people (in the squad) I know really well, some I do not. He’s someone I didn’t know a lot about, but it’s been nice to get to know him personally.

“If there’s anything he wants to know, I’m an open book. I’ll help him however I can.“

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him get out there and play. He’s got plenty of motivation.”

Whitelock added that it’s been great to see the Baabaas players taking the initiative during training and that they are not waiting to be told by the coaches.

Even if they might not spend as much time on the training field as the Boks will ahead of Saturday’s clash, the New Zealander added that it is still special to be involved with the invitational side.

Rain is expected for Saturday, which could impact their natural flair game, but they will look to strike a balance.

“The weather can influence what happens (on the day), and the forecast is for a lot of rain and wind. We will prepare as if it will be the case,” Whitelock added.

“But I am looking forward to seeing the guys express themselves.

“It’s cool to see guys who've probably played against each other a couple of times connect, and they are excited for the next couple of days. However, Saturday will come around very quickly.”