It has been a rollercoaster couple of weeks for French-bound Nic White but amid all the chaos he hasn’t lost sight of his World Cup dream.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Maitland Blacks junior remains determined to play at the international tournament and, while his chance might not come for another four years, White still has the desire to wear the green and gold jersey of the Wallabies once more.
“I definitely want to play for Australia again,” White said.
“Putting a positive spin on not making the World Cup, it will keep that fire burning for the next couple of years.
“It’s certainly burning at the moment. I’m still training hard and I’m hoping to get over there [to France] and be successful.
“I want to leave that door open and have the opportunity to come back and wear that jersey again.”
White is about to embark on a three-year deal with Top 14 club Montpellier after missing Australia’s 31-man squad for the World Cup, which kicks off in the United Kingdom on September 19.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika preferred Nick Phipps and Will Genia as halfback options with utility back Matt Giteau able to cover.
The 25-year-old was overlooked on Friday despite starting at No.9 in the Bledisloe Cup decider at Eden Park last weekend and producing a match-winning 10-point cameo off the bench against the All Blacks in Sydney seven days earlier.
And all of this while packing up his life in Canberra after six years at the ACT Brumbies and planning a proposal to his girlfriend, now fiancee, Melissa.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” White said.
“It has been up and down, a bit all over the shop really, and I haven’t really had a chance to reflect yet.
“I’m still busy trying to sort everything out, but when I do look back it will be a very exciting time in my life with plenty of highs and lows.”
The low was undoubtedly when he was denied a ticket to the World Cup after the high of getting himself back in the mix.
“A few weeks before that I thought my time in the Australian jumper was up,” White said.
“I’d been released from the squad but through an injury, even though you never wish injuries on people, it gave me an opportunity and it was kind of my last chance.
“It was my last game on home soil, my last game in front of the family and it really was do-or-die, so in the end I was happy to be able to help the team and give it a crack.
“I thought I’d given myself a little bit of hope there [for World Cup selection].
“I was hoping he [Cheika] would take three halfbacks early on. Then I thought I’d done enough to push myself into the two if he takes two.
“But he’s got to make a decision and unfortunately I wasn’t that one.
“It’s disappointing, but that’s sport.
“I had the ultimate high two weeks before and that was an ultimate low.”
White has now turned his attention to France.
After spending some time with family in Maitland and the Upper Hunter this week, he will join forces with former Brumbies coach Jake White in the south of France.
“It’s been eight months in the working and the whole time people have said are you excited, but it didn’t feel real because it was so far away,” he said.
“All of a sudden it has crept up on me and now it’s here.
“I leave in the next couple of days, which is exciting but scary, because I don’t really know what to expect.
“I’m just looking forward to the challenge now; getting over there and doing something new.”
White leaves this weekend and will join Montpellier for round four against Bordeaux-Begles on September 6 before they host Paris at Altrad Stadium six days later.