When trying to understand Nic White, people who know him best tell you you’re looking at the wrong clip from Adelaide.
Yes, there’s the controversial Faf de Klerk “fly-swat” episode; the moment of gamesmanship that has seen White hammered in South Africa all week, and even a little at home, too.
But for a better gauge on the character of White, you’re advised to take another look at Marika Koroibete’s eye-popping try-saving tackle on Makazole Mapimpi. There, on the spider-cam vision, you can see one other bloke busting his butt to make it to the open corner: White.
He was on a treadmill compared to Koroibete, and probably couldn’t have stopped the try. But he still went.
“He is crazy competitive,” former Wallabies halfback and teammate Will Genia says.
“And it is not something that manifests itself away from footy or whatever, it’s just when he gets on a field, he turns into this animal where he wants to compete and win every single moment.
White next to the boss … Nic White sits with Dave RennieCredit:Getty
“He might be absolutely busted because he’s cooked because the game or training has been going for a long time – but he will find something inside to keep chasing or to keep getting to a breakdown, to win a contest. He has this crazy well of competitive energy and will to keep going.”
Former Brumbies and Eastwood teammate Lachlan McCaffrey played many years of footy with White and doesn’t hesitate to nominate the same character trait.
“He is the most competitive guy I have ever played with,” McCaffrey says.
“The last player Australia had like that was George Gregan. They are just so competitive in every second of their life. They don’t mean for it to come across the wrong way, but people who aren’t that competitive and don’t understand it, they can sometimes take it in the wrong way.”
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham and Nic White.Credit:Getty
There has been a lot of commentary around White since the Wallabies’ win in Adelaide, particularly on Twitter in South Africa.
The anger stemmed from a moment late in the first half when de Klerk clipped White on the chin when trying to disrupt a pass from a scrum, and the Australian dropped to his knees. It was hammy acting but intended to fish for a penalty and see out the half. It ultimately saw de Klerk binned.
Former Springboks captain John Smit tweeted: “Yellow 9 just killed a little bit of rugby’s soul today.”
And ex-Boks star Butch James slammed White’s actions as a “disgrace to rugby”. As social media went nuts, South Africa fans at Adelaide airport also took the mickey out of the No.9 the next day.
McCaffrey said the criticism shook White a bit.
“Whitey is such a nice bloke, he probably took it on board more than I thought he would. He doesn’t want people to think less of him,” McCaffrey said.
“I just said to him the opinions he needs to worry about are from the people that matter, and that’s the people who he runs onto a field with and the coaching staff. And that Wallabies environment, I know for sure, couldn’t have a higher respect for him.
“But it actually makes me laugh because the John Smits, all these guys, I know they’re great rugby players and so on but some of these opinions that have been thrown out are laughable, because I know every single one of them would have loved having someone like Nic White on their team.”
Nic White and Will Genia.Credit:Getty
But White’s intensity on the field is polarising. It serves as a red rag to rivals fans, and occasionally referees, too. Whistleblowers routinely warn White he is sailing close to the wind for his unsolicited advice on their decisions.
It is a fine line, Genia says. Referee management has been part of a halfback’s stock in trade for decades.
“You have to know when enough is enough, and know when to stay away and just allow the skipper to get your message across,” Genia said.
“But … you don’t want to dull what makes him as a player. Because that competitive drive makes him what he is as a player and, importantly for the team, as a leader.”
And that’s the rub. While rival fans may love to hate him, White is immensely valued by teammates and regarded by most of his coaches – past and present – as one of the world’s best halfbacks. If not the best.
“There are international players but then there are guys who influence people around them, and make them better. He turns a good team into a winning team because of his mindset,” McCaffrey says.
“That stuff is priceless. And when you are outside the environment, that competitive edge doesn’t always come across in the most flattering way. But when you’re in the environment, it is just priceless. People don’t see how Whitey goes about his day to day, lifting the team, mentoring young blokes, all that.”
Strong clubs abide by the philosophy they want players to be good teammates, not just good mates. They want players to hold each other accountable to the standards required to be successful.
“And someone like Whitey is invaluable on that front,” Genia says.
“Because first of all, he is performing on the field and doing his job and has been excellent for the last couple of seasons. But then you couple that with someone who is competitive, in the sense they drive standards and expectations and habits of the team and his teammates, it is so powerful as far as influencing guys around you.
“You need people like that in the team.”
