Connacht capture White

Nathan White image:sportinglife.com

CONNACHT’s scrum is set for a serious injection of power with the capture of Nathan White from Leinster. He will move west at the end of this season, after signing a three year deal.

The move is coup for Connacht and a welcome boost to the forwards who have suffered from a lack of experience in the front row this season since Jamie Hagan’s move to Leinster.

White, who captained Waikato before moving to Leinster, is renowned for his ferocity in the scrum and his exceptional leadership ability. During his captaincy he led All Black legends Marty Holah, Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu. White will add strength and experience to the Connacht pack.

“Nathan will bring some maturity and  a lot of experience to that, not only in his individual scrimmaging technique but also in his leadership across the front of the line. We are hoping he will compliment the guys that we have already and bring through the younger fellas,” explained Dan McFarland, assistant coach.

“He’s industrious. He’s a New Zealander, Waikato, known for their aggressive and work man like forward play. He does carry ball for Leinster but he’s a hard worker for a tight head prop,” he added.

Before signing for Connacht, White told the team’s management that he liked their style of rugby and the ethos of the club and these factors influenced his decision to move west.

It takes a certain type of player to play for Connacht and Eric Elwood is sure that Nathan White has what it takes to be a success in Galway. “The key for me when you meet someoneIt’s important for us that when you come to Connacht he has to be the right type of person and a good fit. From talking to Nathan and the three or four times I met him I could see that straight away,” he said.

Elwood was impressed with White’s knowledge and understanding of Connacht rugby and what the province is trying to build and achieve. He is certain that White will easily integrate into the team.

“He understands what this region is about as well because he was quite openly able to talk about and that was also pleasing. It wasn’t a case of ‘I’m going down there, I can get a contract.’ He knew exactly where he was coming to, what it was about, what it meant. He had done his homework. I know he’ll fit in,” he added.

Elwood is confident that White’s experience of captaining Waikato will be beneficial to Connacht and help to develop the province in the future. “We are talking about creating a culture and bringing on the younger boys and I can see him actually shaping the culture of some of our older, more experienced players and that’s only positive for us and the team,” he explained.