Nic White wanted to run water in Sydney to retire in his boots. He’s starting instead

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt denied giving retiring halfback Nic White a farewell Test against the Lions was a sentimental selection, but after a tough week he is hoping the team will lean in to the emotional motivation of sending White out a winner.

White was named as a surprise starter for the third Test in Sydney on Saturday, as Taniela Tupou was recalled to the starting side, Tom Hooper replaced flanker Rob Valetini and Dylan Pietsch comes in for injured winger Harry Potter.

Flanker Carlo Tizzano, who had a rollercoaster week in the spotlight after the controversial last ruck at the MCG, was left out of the squad.

White, 35, was named in the No.9 jersey against the Lions, just two days after the 72-Test cap veteran informed teammates he would be retiring from Test rugby at the weekend, and from all professional rugby at the end of the year, despite being contracted with the Force in 2026.

White’s elevation for a last Test start, ahead of fit and in-form incumbent Jake Gordon and bench back-up Tate McDermott, is a departure from standard practice.

Test coaches do not usually factor milestones or retirement plans into selection calls, and while Schmidt said White was a Test-standard player who’d been playing and training well, he conceded the farewell factor was also an element in his decision.

Nic White will play his final game for the Wallabies this SaturdayCredit: Getty Images

“Whitey’s got such massive respect inside the squad that it seemed a fitting way for him to finish,” Schmidt said. “I’m not a sentimentalist. It’s a Test match, and you pick people who are capable of playing that Test match – and we believe that Nic is.

“Nic has an excellent kicking game. He has the confidence of the players, and he has a really good game under his belt against Fiji I thought he played really well against the British and Irish Lions for the Western Force. He’s built his way into contention.

“At the same time, Jake has done really well, but then Tate has done really well as well. There are three nines who are all in contention every week, and this week we’ve decided to go with Nic White.”

Asked if he felt players would be motivated to send White out on a high, Schmidt said: “I know it’s part of the motivation. It is.

“He’s so well respected in the group. He’s been at the top of the game for a dozen years. So when you make that contribution over 12 years, as I said, it’s not sentimentality, but it is a reality when someone is important to the group, the group want to support them.”

After coming to a decision to retire last week, White said he had been considering asking Schmidt if he could run water at Accor Stadium so he’d finish in his boots. So he was surprised when he got the nod to start.

“Jake and Tate did an unbelievable job the first two games,” he said. “I didn’t see it coming, but really appreciate it. And yeah, I won’t let the boys down.”

White said he had made the decision to retire over the last two weeks, after some “honest conversations” with Schmidt, Force coach Simon Cron “and mostly myself”. With lingering injury issues and the 2027 Rugby World Cup a bridge too far, White called time. The decision will likely clear a path for Ryan Lonergan to finally move up the pecking order in the upcoming Rugby Championships.

Taniela Tupou replaces Allan Alaalatoa in the Wallabies’ line-up.Credit: Getty Images

“It’s very rare to be able to be in a position to kind of go out on your own terms, I guess,” White said. “But the body’s just given me a lot of signs that now’s the right time. And I think it’s time I start listening. And I’ve got three young boys at home. My wife’s been the absolute rock for a long time. It’s time I put family first.”

Schmidt said the insertion of several new faces was tactical, to lift the energy of Wallabies side who were “incredibly deflated” early in the week.

“Tuesday was tough, actually, to get them up off the canvas, and today there was a little bit of an upswing,” he said. “We’ve just got to keep that momentum.

“It is a challenge, because all that emotional energy, psychological energy that was expended, the way things finished, the sense of frustration, and it’s almost like a grieving process by the time they’ve gone through those first few days.”

Schmidt said leaving Valetini out was “precautionary” to ensure he didn’t sustain a serious, long-term injury to a strained calf ahead of the Rugby Championship, and there is hope Allan Alaalatoa (shoulder) will also avoid surgery and return in the tournament.

Tupou’s form in the First Nations and Pasifika clash with the Lions was enough to convince Schmidt the big prop was ready to return to the Wallabies No.3.

“He was right back to the irrepressible character that he is,” he said. “So we’re hopeful that Taniela can continue that upswing and bring us a real boost of energy.”

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