Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie confident Jake White contract drama won't worry Brumbies players

EWEN McKenzie confident the Jake White saga won't be a distraction for the nine Brumbies playing for the Wallabies against the Springboks.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie attends a training session at City Parkin Cape Town, South Africa.

EWEN McKenzie is confident the Jake White saga won't serve as a distraction to the nine Brumbies playing for the Wallabies against the Springboks on Sunday morning (EST).

The Wallabies' attention has instead, according to McKenzie, been turned towards daily commentary in Cape Town that the Boks are set to run up a cricket score against the thoroughly written-off Australian team.

"All we have read about is how much the Springboks are going to beat us by. We have taken notice of that, we are looking forward to the opportunity," McKenzie sniped at a media conference overnight.

The Wallabies' preparations took a diversion this week with the news of White's sudden departure from the Brumbies, with many players taken so much by surprise they learned on social media.

White was in Cape Town and met with Ben Mowen on Wednesday, before dining with the rest of the Brumbies players in camp later that night.

McKenzie said the swift resolution of White's departure ensured players would not be dwelling on the drama.

"Obviously it has popped up. It popped up as a rumour and then turned into reality pretty quickly, so I guess with reality it is sorted, in the context there's certainty for people in what's happening," McKenzie said.

"What happens from the Brumbies perspective won't be solved tomorrow or the next day, and that will remain there to be solved, but from a clarity point of view for the players that are here, they understand what's transpired.

"The organisation will work on where they are going but from a players perspective, they know 100 per cent what's going on. It allows them to deal with it, put it to one side and then get on with playing this game.

"I don't envisage it will have any distraction. It has been done and dusted in 36 hours."

In officially naming his team, McKenzie said the decision to call in Tevita Kuridrani to outside centre was a chance to bring in extra bulk out wide and cover the loss of James O'Connor with Adam Ashley-Cooper on the wing.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie attends a training session at City Parkin Cape Town, South Africa.

"To be honest we put numbers on their back but it doesn't mean they have to play there. We have ended up with a reasonably physically imposing backline, we have some size there, so we are looking forward to putting some pressure on through our backline," McKenzie said.

The Wallabies coach stirred up the locals by appearing to not paying due deference to Newlands Stadium, where Australia hasn't won a Test since 1992

"I won here in 1992, I enjoyed that win," McKenzie said. "I've had some Super Rugby success here as well. We've been here a number of times and feel very comfortable being here and very comfortable at that stadium. It's a tough place to play for sure but for me personally, I have had some of my finest football moments playing there."