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Fissler Confidential: Bears' fight to keep LRZ, England star on the move
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Exeter have sounded out Nic White about a deal to return to Chiefs
By Neil Fissler
Exeter are rumoured to be looking into a potential deal to bring Wallaby scrum-half Nic White back to Sandy Park for the remainder of the season. RugbyPass understand that the Chiefs, who have lost their opening three Gallagher Premiership games, have enquired about White after failing in a bid to sign Ben, White’s Scotland international namesake.
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Chiefs boss Rob Baxter was adamant a couple of weeks ago that he wouldn’t be looking for journeymen to add experience to his young squad but it appears he has been forced into a rethink.
Scrum-half has been a problem position for Exeter this season, with both Stu Townsend and Niall Armstrong currently unavailable for selection and Sam Maunder not yet firing on all cylinders after a long-term injury.
The 34-year-old New South Wales-born White scored 14 tries in 61 games for Exeter and was a part of the sides that suffered back-to-back Premiership final defeats to Saracens in 2018 and 2019.
In May 2019, it was announced that he would leave the Chiefs midway through the 2019/20 season in order to become eligible for the Rugby World Cup in Japan and he was reunited with the ACT Brumbies.
He is now entering the final 12 months of a two-year contract with Western Force and is still highly thought of by the Chiefs hierarchy, who could turn to him to dig them out of the hole they find themselves in.
RugbyPass believe that Exeter enquired to Toulon about Ben White, the former England U20 international, who signed an extension last February that will keep him in the red and black until 2026.
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The Stoke-on-Trent-born 26-year-old made his debut for Leicester Tigers at 17. He has also played for Doncaster Knights and London Irish and moved to Toulon in 2023. He has started games against Stade Francais and Vannes this season and was keen to see out his contract on the Cote d’Azur.
