‘A bit obsessed’: Wallaby Nic White opens up on 2013 Lions heartbreak

For more than 10 years, Wallabies scrum-half Nic White has been “obsessed” with staying in Australia to face the British and Irish Lions. White was ruled out of the last Lions Tour Down Under with a broken shoulder, but is set for another shot with the Western Force.

White will captain a strong Western Force side that boasts 11 internationals in the matchday 23, including six players who were recently named in Australia’s 36-man squad. Carlo Tizzano, Jeremy Williams and Harry Potter are all unavailable, still with the Wallabies out east.

While the Lions is often spoken about as a ‘once-in-a-career’ opportunity, White has been given another chance to face the prestigious touring side – 12 years on from disaster – missing the three-Test series and the ACT Brumbies’ historic upset win over the Lions in Canberra.

Sam Cane on the differences he experienced with the Barbarians

Sam Cane on the differences he experienced with the Barbarians

Ahead of a potential Test debut, White returned to clubland with the Brumbies, suffering the shoulder blow early on in the team’s last game of the season. Coach Robbie Deans ended up starting Will Genia in all three Tests, while Nick Phipps came off the bench.

“Don’t get injured, that’s just been going through my mind,” White quipped.

“Obviously, 12 years ago I got injured and missed that opportunity and it’s been in the back of my mind for a long time now, bit over a decade.

“To get the opportunity to play against the Lions tomorrow is unreal. It’s a real dream come true. Words don’t really do it justice – I’m pretty excited and just need to control that excitement between now and then.

“Once I missed that series, young and naïve, I was like, ‘I’m going to play in Australia and for the Wallabies for the next 10 years.’ That’s just not a reality, is it?

“I went overseas early and that was always in the back of my mind, that if I had an opportunity to come back to Australia around that time, I’d love to get it another nudge. I knew that just playing the Lions as part of a Super Rugby side is a huge deal.

“It really is a pinch me moment.”

White ended up debuting for the Wallabies against the All Blacks in Sydney later in 2013, before going on to play another 70 Tests in the years since. Alongside Jake Gordon and Tate McDermott, White is still considered one of the elite halfback’s in Australian rugby.

On Thursday, The Force unveiled their side to face the Lions, with White captaining a team that also includes former England international Nic Dolly, Wallabies bolter Nick Champion de Crespigny, and former Auckland first five-eighth Alex Harford in New Zealand’s NPC.

“Simon (Cron) called me into HQ on the weekend which is a bit rare, I was hoping it wasn’t bad news,. [He] let me know I’d be skipper,” White said.

“Goosebumps stuff. For a long time I was a bit obsessed with just making sure that I was here in Australia to play against the Lions. At no point in time did I think that captaining a side was part of my thought process.

“I’ve got a lot of people to thank… and (Cron) is one of them. He’s had my back the last two years and given me this opportunity over here with this club and he’s got faith in me and I look forward to paying that back.

“Go home, to be able to tell your wife, family, that you’re going to run out first against the Lions and in their game here is pretty cool… it’s going to be a spectacle.”