9 hours ago
5
He scored the opening try against them on tour, and now, evergreen halfback Nic White is ready to realise a childhood dream by wearing the green and gold against the British and Irish Lions in a Test match.
At 35, and with 71 Tests under his belt, the veteran has pretty well been there, done that, but one box that remains unticked is representing his country against the Lions, who venture Down Under once every 12 years.
He missed out in 2013, after suffering a shoulder injury while playing for the Brumbies in Super Rugby, and realises the three-Test campaign that kicks off in Brisbane on November 19 represents his last chance.
He has already observed the Lions at close quarters, during the tour opener in Perth, when he scored the only try for Western Force in a 54-7 defeat.
Not surprisingly, he was impressed with what he saw, not just on the field but also by the size of their support base.
“They’ve come up with like 40 or 50,000 people following them,” he said. “There was just a red army at most cafes, most pubs. There was a great buzz around the whole week.
“For me personally, to finally play them was unreal, but I know that it’ll be very different [in the Test series].
“The Brits all week were very nice, but I imagine in a few weeks’ time, things might change a little bit. But look, it is awesome, the size of the event, like I said, the sheer numbers coming out, there’s a real buzz about town, and, as a player, you absolutely live for these weeks.
“I think back to a kid running around the backyard just hoping and dreaming, like: ‘Oh yeah, [pretending] I’m running out playing the Lions’. And then you do it, you’re like, you kind of pinch yourself, right?”
White’s selection hopes could hinge on how he performs in Sunday’s Test against Fiji in Newcastle.
Wallabies halfback Nic White during this training.Credit: Rugby Australia
He has been named on the bench, with Tate McDermott to start at No.9, but Jake Gordon (hamstring) was “very close” to proving his fitness, according to coach Joe Schmidt, and will be considered for the Lions series opener.
Well advanced in his career, White is taking nothing for granted.
“I still feel good,” he said. “I want to compete in anything it is, and I want to be a part of this team, this group, in whatever role that is.
“I feel like I’ve still got a lot to offer ... maybe that competitiveness may never die and my body might be what gives up first, but until that happens, there’s something in me that just wants to keep going.
Nic White scores for the Force against the Lions in the tour opener.Credit: Getty Images
“To be honest, I’ve been treating any Test I’ve been a part of for a bit over the last 12 months as potentially my last.”
Schmidt said White’s value extended far beyond his game-day contribution. The former Maitland Blacks player has relished spending a week in Newcastle and was only too happy to attend a training session with the Wildfires Shute Shield team, where he mentored their young halves.
“He gives to the game, ‘Whitey’, and he gives to the team,” Schmidt said.
“It’s one of the things that we really enjoy with Nick contributing to the team. He’s a smart and experienced player. When you add our Test caps up and between him and a couple of others like ‘Slips’ [James Slipper], outside of those guys who have got that experience, there are some pretty inexperienced guys in our team.
“Just for them to have that calm reassurance and sometimes that cutting comment is what he’s capable of delivering, they know it comes from a real care about the team and the performance.
“I think it is pretty special for Whitey. He’s caught up with a few locals during this week, and he’s shared his time with some of the local players to give a bit back to the community that he came from.
“He’s got a lot of class. Decision-making is usually spot on. His ability to organise the players around him is usually spot-on.
Loading
“That’s a really good starting place for a nine. If he can be the conduit for others to express or demonstrate their abilities, then I think he’s doing a good job, and he commits pretty well to that.”
White said the tour match in Perth was played in good spirit and he expects that to continue in the Test series, albeit at far higher intensity.
“We’ll be friends at the end of the series,” he said. “But yeah, there’s certainly no animosity towards anyone in that group.
“They’re looking to win. We’re looking to win. Stakes are high. Tensions will be high.
“There’ll be a lot of pressure. That’s a Lions series. But mate, I’m sure we’ll find the appropriate time to have a beer. They’re good blokes.”
All nine matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.
Follow all the action of the British and Irish Lions tour with news and analysis from Australia’s best rugby writers. Sign up here to receive special Rolling Maul editions of our Sport newsletter.
Most Viewed in Sport
Loading
