Nic White’s retirement from international rugby lasted all of a few days as the Australia scrum half is back in the Wallabies squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
The 35-year-old White had declared the third and final British and Irish Lions Test in Sydney last weekend would be his final international match but, on Thursday, he was included in Joe Schmidt’s 35-man squad for the opening games of the Rugby Championship in South Africa.
An injury to regular No 9 Jake Gordon threw a spanner into Schmidt’s plans and White has duly answered the SOS call after producing such an impressive performance in the Wallabies’ 22-12 success to avoid a series clean sweep against the best of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
“White (is) putting his hand up to help the group again due to Gordon’s injury, just a week after announcing his plans to retire,” Rugby Australia confirmed.
Uncapped scrum half Ryan Lonergan will join 73-Test White in the squad for next week’s clash (16 August) against the world-champion Springboks in Johannesburg, before another Test in Cape Town on 23 August.
Fly half Tom Lynagh will miss the tour, though, after being struck high by Lions hooker Dan Sheehan during the Sydney triumph and subsequently failing a head injury assessment.
Playmaker Tane Edmed, who has one previous cap to his name, replaces Lynagh in the squad, joining Ben Donaldson and James O’Connor among the fly half options.
Edmed’s call-up caps a rollercoaster year for the 24-year-old whose Test debut against Ireland last November lasted three minutes before being forced off field with concussion.
He had a miserable Super Rugby season with the Waratahs, falling down the fly half pecking order under coach Dan McKellar before announcing a switch to the ACT Brumbies for next year.
For all that, Edmed said he had not lost faith he would eventually find his way back to the Wallabies.
“I’ve been in close contact with Joe (Schmidt) and the coaches, and they’ve always said ‘stay ready’,” he revealed to reporters on Thursday. “And despite the Super competition probably not going the way I would have liked, I always felt like I was a chance.”
With Allan Alaalatoa injured, uncapped prop Aidan Ross gets a chance, while Schmidt also recalls uncapped winger Corey Toole and adds the Queensland trio of centre Josh Flook, hooker Josh Nasser and lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
Prop Taniela Tupou and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, a late inclusion for the third Lions Test, have also been retained.
Australia squad for Rugby Championship matches against South Africa:
Forwards: Angus Bell, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Billy Pollard, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Carlo Tizzano, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, James Slipper, Jeremy Williams, Josh Nasser, Langi Gleeson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost, Rob Valetini, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper, Tom Robertson, Will Skelton, Zane Nonggorr, Aidan Ross
Backs: Ben Donaldson, Tane Edmed, Josh Flook, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, James O’Connor, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright
Additional reporting by Reuters
