For an attacking player with such a sharp-edged personality on the field, Ben White is extremely polite when it comes to disagreeing.
Already at the age of 25 he overcame strange obstacles. The player, who played for Leicester Tigers in 2021 and made his Premier League debut at the age of 17, was deemed surplus to requirements and was released with two years left on his contract.
Two years later the London Irish were in financial ruin. Having forced his way to the top of the rankings, White was dismissed and joined Toulon. Channel hopping during the Six Nations could be “boring” as White lost his luggage on his way back to France from Scotland’s last-gasp loss. To cope with such stress, one must be a relaxed character who can roll with the punches. Right? Apparently wrong.
“Erm. No,” White laughs in an interview on The Telegraph Rugby Podcast after announcing a new deal last week that he will stay at Toulon until 2026. “I think people who know me would say I’m the opposite of that.
“It’s been tough at times. There’s been a lot of change, but no career is a straight line. One of the things it’s done is help me become a more well-rounded player and person.”
White was born in Stoke-on-Trent and captained England Under-20s. As recently as 2019, he came off the bench for England against the Barbarians at Twickenham, linking up with Marcus Smith in place of Alex Mitchell. Later at the 2021 autumn internationals, White received a message from Gavin Vaughan during his first year in Ireland.
Vaughan is Gregor Townsend’s chief analyst and a prolific scout of Scottish talent. He was the one who famously scouted Huw Jones when Huw Jones was playing for the University of Cape Town. White’s eligibility was more obvious because he had been part of the Scottish Exiles program in his mid-teens and had qualified through his grandfather. Even so, this ice-breaking situation would be replaced by exciting WhatsApp exchanges.
“I had a phone conversation with Gregor and he explained what his vision was for the team,” White recalls. “He also talked about how I was playing, what I was doing well and what he thought I could do better.
“Over the next few weeks he would send me clips from games on WhatsApp. I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’ “He clearly watches every minute of my matches,” he said. Things like ‘These three stages were good, but why did you wait on this hill?’ What do you see?’
“The level of coaching was amazing in terms of developing me as an individual. I was probably surprised by it. ‘God… I need to be good at every stage here!’ I remember thinking: ‘Every pass, every shot, every movement off the ball.’”
Since then, Townsend’s investment has been greatly rewarded. Simply put, White played as if he was aiming for accuracy in every phase. There were also fairytale moments. White was brought into the Scotland squad for the 2022 Six Nations and scored five minutes into a “crazy” Test bow against England after coming on as a head injury replacement for Ali Price.
The following year, with his team trailing 20-12 at Twickenham, he scored a crucial solo try and led Scotland to another Calcutta Cup victory. Backed by tidy skills, White’s game exudes tenacity. He’s a half-speed brawler.
When asked if this behavior was intentional, White shrugs: “I’m not someone who exudes confidence or anything.” “I’m just trying to do my job. I know that if I play fast, play with passion and aggression and work hard off the ball, I will do my job well. I’m playing in an international game. Why shouldn’t I work hard off the ball? Why don’t I try to win every moment? That’s why you’re here.”
So what will happen when you face England? Does White give more weight to his competitive instincts?
“I’ll be honest – not really,” he says. “The emotion needs to be there in every Test match. You get up there and look at the crowd and the big lights and say, ‘What am I doing here?’ If you think like this, you will be lost at sea. Yes, England are a very good team with great individuals and I have played with and against these players for a long time, so you know how good they can be.
“One of the things that has really helped me over the years is the relationship between us and Scotland. [mental skills coach] Aaron Walsh. I also worked with London Irishman Mike Roberts and those guys helped me get to where I am, finding the balance between what they call red and blue.
“It’s about finding the balance between being calm and controlled in these moments, being on the edge of your aggression and being open at the same time. In my job you need to think clearly. To play fast, you need to have a clear mind and game plan. This really helped me with a few things. If I make mistakes in matches or things don’t go well, there are a few things I need to focus on and improve my game.
“In these big games, if I do my preparation and all the little things about the game right, I can go out there and play.”
It’s difficult to summarize Scotland’s current campaign. In White’s words, they were “close to perfect” after taking a 27-0 lead against Wales before conceding a series of penalties. They responded well to France. One of the goals this season was to maintain control. Led by Finn Russell (1,583 metres), who was third in meter kicks (821 metres) for the entire tournament, White completed a spectacular move that began with a make-up of his own box kick.
But the ending was heartbreaking. White was closer than most and remembers Sam Skinner’s confidence during the meeting; is usually a sure sign that an attempt has been scored. But that hasn’t been the case and Scotland need to get the title back on track. White saw photos of the final attack, along with questions about why the ball didn’t move wider. He continues to be phlegmy.
“Look, once the referee makes the decision, we have to live with it,” White says. “As fans you can be upset and angry, but as players it’s all there. On the contrary, it makes you look at the situation and how we can control it better next time. I’ve seen photos of the whole field and people saying ‘you could have gone one more time’. Of course looking back is 20 “It’s /20 and that’s something we can work on in terms of covering that area… but if it’s a tryout, you don’t talk about it. That’s sports sometimes.”
Over the last two years White has gradually established himself as Scotland’s front-line attacker and complement to Finn Russell. While he does not take anything for granted, he develops thanks to the “inner confidence” that develops over time in the saddle.
“Gregor is great and it’s great to play with Finn because he takes the pressure off these games,” White concludes. “The players around you in Scotland are amazing. You feel comfortable enough on the field and if you want to try something you can. If it doesn’t work out, someone will cut their ass off to protect you. It’s a great environment to be in.”
It seems too modest to say, but White’s skill and consistency make him exactly the kind of player who encourages others.