Beau White in action for West Lions against Narrabri. He will step up to the Country Bulls side on Saturday. Photo: Grant Robertson 310312GRB84
BEAU White’s meteoric rise from rugby union player to second division leaguie to representative player shoots a little higher on Saturday when he lines up for the Country Bulls.
The 20-year-old Barraba boy and West Lions fullback has only been playing league for three years and is in his first season in first grade with West and just played his first games with Group 4.
But the Country selectors liked what they saw and he will now face Victoria at Albury.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“It should be a good
experience.
“It should be a step up.”
White grew up playing the other code, not surprisingly considering his dad, Geoff, was a whisker away from being a Wallaby.
But he has made an impact in league.
“I played a bit with Central North, in under 13s and 14s and that sort of stuff,” White said.
“But Group 4 is the highest I’ve played.
“This is only my third year (of league).”
He joined the Barraba Bulldogs in 2010 and was part of last year’s G4 Second Division premiership-winning side before coming to West Lions this year.
He and brother Luke were both part of Group 4’s Country Championships campaign and at the end of it he was named on the wing for the Bulls.
Lions teammate Matt Nean is on the bench.
They are the only G4 players selected and neither of them know any of their Bulls teammates.
“We’ve got four days there,” White said.
“We’ve got training and pool sessions and things like that.
“There’s a whole schedule of things that we’re doing.”
Four days of preparations should be enough to get the boys acquainted with their teammates, plus White will have some extra support there.
The family is going along for the trip.
White hasn’t played a lot of wing, apart from the first game for Group 4.
It means marking your man and making decisions in defence and also helping out the forwards with plenty of dummy half scoots.
“It’s very different,” he said.
“You have to do more defence as well, which I’m not used to.”
His form at fullback for Wests can’t be faulted.
He has been outstanding since stepping up from the Barraba second division side.
Not that he agrees.
“I haven’t been playing real well, I don’t reckon,” he said.
“Ever since I did my ankle I’ve been holding off a bit.
“That was against Norths the last time.”
That was when the Lions beat the Bears.
Two weekends ago the Bears turned the tables.
When White and Nean return they have two more games to play before the semi-finals where the Tamworth teams will meet again.
“We’ve got a few big weeks coming up,” White said.
“Hopefully we’ll play a bit better next time.
“We made too many mistakes last time. It was the worst we’ve ever played.”
White and Nean will travel all the way home from Albury on Saturday night in time to play for West at Moree on Sunday.
It’s only about a 14-hour drive.
