Brumbies coach Dan McKellar will look to “on-field coach” Nic White to give his team an edge in Saturday’s Super Rugby AU showdown with the NSW Waratahs.
McKellar has resisted rushing the Wallabies World Cup halfback into his team since his arrival from England last month but with their ladder lead under threat, White will make his first appearance off the bench in the Canberra clash.
It will be the 30-year-old’s first match in Brumbies colours in five years after taking his career offshore.
White was expected to miss Super Rugby this year but with the season delayed due to coronavirus, he can now press his claims to wear Australia’s No.9 jersey in Test matches scheduled for later in 2020.
McKellar has been sympathetic to the halfbacks already on deck for the season but could no longer ignore the class and experience of White.
“Whitey, off the back of COVID, has landed in our laps and he’s an outstanding player with a whole lot of experience,” McKellar said on Thursday.
“We didn’t expect to have him, thought he’d be playing against the Irish and in the Rugby Championship but he’s trained hard and come back in incredible shape and is ready to play.”
They have made nine changes to the run-on side, with Wallabies Tevita Kuridrani, Folau Fainga’a and regular starting halfback Joe Powell rested.
McKellar said the line-up had been training together since the bye weekend following their shock loss to Melbourne and he felt it was the best team to beat the Waratahs.
With a young halves pairing in Bayley Kuenzle and Ryan Lonergan, the Brumbies will look to White to add some punch in the second half.
McKellar said even before taking to the field White had made a difference to their side.
“He’s just a competitor and he demands incredibly high standards of himself and others around him and he’s like having another coach on the field, which is an incredible benefit for us,” he said.
“I can already see our young nines and 10s and our team in general are learning from his experiences and knowledge.
“He wants to win everything, it doesn’t matter what it is, and drives standards and accountability.
“That might rattle a few people every now and then but it’s for the betterment of the group.”
Brumbies: Tom Banks, Andy Muirhead, Solomone Kata, Irae Simone, Tom Wright, Bayley Kuenzle, Ryan Lonergan, Pete Samu, Will Miller, Lachlan McCaffrey, Cadeyrn Neville, Murray Douglas, Allan Alaalatoa (capt), Connal McInerney, James Slipper. Res: Lachlan Lonergan, Scott Sio, Tom Ross, Darcy Swain, Rob Valetini, Tom Cusack, Nic White, Len Ikitau.