The Wallabies may have comfortably accounted for the Springboks by seven points on Saturday afternoon, but star scrumhalf Nic White is under fire for an act one prominent ex-player said ‘killed a little piece of rugby’s soul’.
White was involved in an incident with Springboks counterpart Faf de Klerk late in the game, when the latter attempted to slap the ball out his hands during a scrum just metres out from South Africa’s try line.
De Klerk missed the ball and instead accidentally grazed White’s face, with the Aussie then reeling backwards and clutching at air after the referee didn’t initially blow for a penalty.
White went backwards before falling to the ground to catch the attention of the referees and officials in the booth, and De Klerk was eventually handed a yellow card and sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White with his wife Melissa and three young children after the Aussie received a ceremonial cap for playing 50 Tests for Australia
And boy, didn’t pundits, players and fans lay into White for his part in the incident.
‘It will go down as one of the softest yellow cards of the year, no doubt,’ commentator Sean Maloney said on the broadcast, while fellow caller, former Springboks legend Butch James went a step further, saying it was a ‘disgrace to the game of rugby’.
Referee Paul Williams explained to De Klerk that while he was ‘trying to go for the ball’, he still did get it wrong and strike White’s face.’
That part is perhaps conclusive, but the very light manner of the contact and White’s incredibly exaggerated dive meant the rugby world wasn’t having a bar of it.
Nic White reels back and clutches at air near his face after being grazed on the face by his Springbok opponent
Former South African players and pundits were particularly incensed by White’s conduct, with legendary captain John Smit slamming the dimunitive Aussie: ‘Yellow 9 (White) just killed a little piece of rugby’s soul today’ he wrote on Twitter.
Another ex-Springbok, Mike Rhodes, called the dive ‘plain embarrassing’ and ‘disgraceful’, while prominent pundit Brendan Nel slammed White for ‘milking’ the contact
‘Nic White’s Oscar may be celebrated by those who don’t like the Boks. But it a poor advert for the game,’ he wrote while live-tweeting his reaction to the game.
‘This isn’t football. Theatrics may win you a penalty but they are a blight on the game. It is an embarrassment.’
Nic White, pictured with wife Melissa, newborn son and other sons Sonny and Leo. The Aussie scrumhalf is based in Canberra with the Brumbies
It didn’t take long for the memes to take hold either, with one particularly hilarious one featuring White winning an Oscar, pictured next to a parody of the infamous Chris Rock slap from this year’s awards.
Within moments, cheeky fans – no doubt South Africans – had already changed White’s Wikipedia page to show that his position was ‘drama queen’ and that ‘Manchester United are currently looking to recruit him’.
It took just the tiniest bit of shine off what was, for the most part, a great performance by the Australians for a 25-17 margin that heavily flattered the Springboks.
With the Wallabies a man down when winger Tom Wright was yellow-carded after repeated team infringements, the Springboks were looking for their first try late in the first half.
Makazole Mapimpi looked a certainty until Man of the Match Marika Koroibete raced 40 metres from his own wing and barged into the South African winger, sending him flying over the sideline.
Nic White reacts after a strong Aussie play in their win over the Springboks
The Wallabies were able to take a 10-3 lead into halftime, with the visitors also forced to play the opening 10 minutes of the second half without de Klerk after the White incident.
Koroibete crossed in the 46th minute when he wrong-footed Pollard, and the margin was out to 22-3 just 10 minutes later when McReight backed up a Lolesio flick pass.
The Springboks prevented the Wallabies from collecting a bonus point when flanker Kwagga Smith scored twice in the final six minutes, flattering the visitors but no doubt disappointing Australia’s coaching staff.
Fraser McReight, who has replaced skipper Michael Hooper, who is absent on mental health leave, also crossed in each half in a dominant display that also saw the flanker make a crucial breakdown turnover when the Springboks looked destined to cross.
Nic White posing in some flash shades with sons Leo and Sonny
Flyhalf Noah Lolesio had his best game for Australia in his 13th test and set up McReight’s second try.
The 22-year-old had a hand in each of the three tries and Australia coach Dave Rennie praised his game management.
‘We’re really happy for Noah … we had confidence that he could do the job and I thought he was excellent,’ Rennie said after the game.
‘We talked a lot about playing flatter and playing on top of the offensive line and smart kicking options and so it was good to see that from him today.’
Wallabies flyhalf Noah Lolesio (top) celebrates Fraser McReight’s (number 7) try during Australia’s win over South Africa
South Africa has not won in Australia since 2013, and stand-in skipper James Slipper said he was proud the team was able to respond after a horror loss to Argentina last start.
‘I’m very proud of the effort we showed today. We started the game well and that put us in a good position, We scored when we got given those opportunities.
‘Normally the team that wins performs in those big moments. Now we need to back that up next week in Sydney.’
Argentina kept pace with the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship standings with an incredible 25-18 win over New Zealand at Christchurch in the other match on Saturday, leaving the All Blacks, and the entire rugby world, in shock.
Argentina and Australia, with 2-1 records, have nine points each, but the Pumas are in first place with a better points differential.
Next weekend, the tournament continues when the Wallabies play the Springboks in what is set to be a sell-out clash at the newly-rebuilt Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
