Wallabies halfback Nic White keen to impress in World Cup audition

Four years ago Nic White was gutted when he missed out on a spot in the World Cup, and the halfback knows he now has the chance to rectify that pain with an audition in South Africa.

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Nic White had a “helpless” feeling as a former Wallaby abroad when watching last year’s tortured Test run until deciding he wanted to be part of the cure for World Cup year.

The sparky England-based halfback is within touching distance of his first Wallabies jersey since 2015 with a bench role possible for the Test against South Africa in Johannesburg early on Sunday morning (AEST).

Nic White trains with the Wallabies ahead of the South Africa tour. Picture: Stuart Walmsley

He will be a new, improved model with a bolder running game if everything he’s learnt in France and England flows into this second career shot he never expected.

Four years after being gutted by his omission from the 2015 World Cup squad, chasing a part in the 2019 mission to Japan has brought him home.

“It’s been a bit surreal, something I probably thought, at one point, was never going to happen again,” White, 29, said of rejoining the Wallabies.

White in action for the Exeter Chiefs in June. Picture: Henry Browne/Getty Images

The foreign legion of ex-Wallabies in England, France and Japan are always urging on the team and they felt the pain of last year’s spiral when nine of 13 Tests were lost.

“I think it’s difficult for guys over there, you feel helpless,” the 22-Test halfback said.

“You are always hoping the boys do well.”

The extra experience gained from 46 games and finals footy for leading English club Exeter is now an asset for the Wallabies should anything happen to 100-Test halfback Will Genia.

“Playing with Exeter I was probably playing a different style to what I was back in Canberra with the Brumbies in terms of holding onto the ball, running a lot more and different plays coming off No.9,” White said.

White passes the ball for Montpellier during his stint there in 2016. Picture: Alexandre Dimou

“I asked Exeter, a place I really enjoyed, to release me out of the last year of my contract to come home to chase this (so) I think I’ve already shown how much this means.”

When White headed off to play with Montpellier in France in 2015, he was unfulfilled as a Wallaby of two years standing.

“I think I didn’t feel I gave the best of myself in that Wallaby jersey. It probably comes from age and experience as well but I feel more comfortable in myself and my own ability now to show the best of myself,” White said.

“Missing out on the last World Cup had a lot to do with coming home as well.”

White with Stephen Moore whilre playing for the Brumbies in 2015. Picture: Hannah Peters

He’s talking the right game about making this opener against the Springboks really count after three intense training and planning weeks.

“Like every (Test) pre-season for every team everyone feels like worldbeaters coming out of it. We feel confident but this week is about adding smarts to the hard work we’ve put in so we make sure we get the right reward,” White said.

Even when Rugby Australia’s high performance manager, Ben Whitaker, last year planted the seed for a move home for White, he figured it was post-World Cup planning for life after Genia and Nick Phipps.

“I thought if something came to fruition it would probably be post-World Cup with the exodus but when the (earlier) chance to go to a World Cup came about I got pretty excited,” White said.

It will be a tight race to select Genia’s two World Cup understudies with in-form Brumby Joe Powell and White on this trip and veteran Phipps and pacy NSW Waratah Jake Gordon left behind.

Exeter agreed to an early release from the final 2020-21 season of White’s contract so he’ll play there until mid next year before joining a yet-to-be-decided Super Rugby side.

“It’s only good for the jersey when you have a number of guys fighting for that spot. They (Phipps and Gordon) will also be training hard for an opportunity and they’ll be trying to take it like Willy, Joey and myself too,” White said.