Brumbies coach Jake White says British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has the players to beat the Wallabies

BRUMBIES coach Jake White has dismissed Warren Gatland’s appalling record against the Wallabies, saying the Lions coach now has a "dream team".

BRUMBIES coach Jake White has dismissed Warren Gatland's appalling record against the Wallabies, saying the Lions coach now has a "dream team" to get the job done.

As coach of Wales, Gatland has lost his past eight encounters against the Wallabies, with a sole win in 2008, but White says his familiarity with Australia and the added bonus of star players from England, Ireland and Scotland at his disposal made that record irrelevant for the looming three-Test series.

“He hasn’t beaten them [recently], he’s come very close, we all know that, but he’s been brave enough to play the southern hemisphere sides many more times than most northern hemisphere coaches would have liked,” White said.

“That’s the first that’s he’s got, and then he would know exactly what he needed in the Welsh team to win, and now he’s got them.

“He’s got the Richie Grays, the Paul O’Connells, the Brian O’Driscolls, all the players that aren’t obviously in his Welsh team.

“There is no doubt that when he left the shores here he said, ‘I wish I had a bigger outside back, or a maybe bigger lock, or maybe a better scrummaging tighthead prop’, or whatever the story is.

“Now he has got them, so if anyone is actually equipped to win this series, Warren has obviously given himself a crack by what he’s done in the last couple of years.”

White’s Brumbies take on a second-string Lions outfit tonight in Canberra in the final practice match before Saturday’s first Test in Brisbane.

Brumbies captain Peter Kimlin, who has returned from the Wallabies’ training camp, has been told by Australia coach Robbie Deans that he is not in the plans for the first Test but hopes to figure in later Tests.

“I’m outside of the starting 23, he said if I play a good game that obviously puts me at the forefront of his mind,” the tough backrower said.

“That’s what I’ll be taking into this game.”

Kimlin hopes his young side can catch the Lions off guard.

“I think at this stage they’re all probably looking forward to the first Test in Brisbane, you could say there’s a slight bit of underdog about us, it certainly adds that doubt,” Kimlin said.