Super Rugby round 10
Nic White reminded 'No I in Brumbies'
April 19, 2013
Brumbies' scrum-half Nic White tries to get to grips with the Southern Kings flanker Wimpie van der Walt. Brumbies v Southern Kings, Super Rugby, Canberra Stadium, Canberra, Australia, April 5, 2013
Nic White has been in good form for the Brumbies in 2013 © Getty Images
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Brumbies coach Jake White has urged scrum-half Nic White against overplaying his hand against Super Rugby's premier No. 9, Will Genia, in Brisbane on Saturday night.

The half-back's recent form has made him the clear Wallabies back-up No. 9, behind Genia, for the three-Test series against the British & Irish Lions, and he'll want to press his claims further having sat on Australia's bench for 240 minutes as Genia played every minute of three Tests last June. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is sure to be taking notes as the Brumbies play Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium, and Jake White hopes his scrum-half remembers the team plan instead of trying to prove a point.

"Genia is well known as probably the best halfback in the world," the IRB Rugby World Cup-winning coach told AAP. "The problem with what happens in these big derby games, which can always lead to failure, is if players on an individual basis think they've got to make a statement on their own. I hope [Nic White] doesn't need to worry about how he proves himself against anybody. He's just got to make sure he plays how we want him to play."

Nic White and Genia were side-by-side at a Wallabies camp earlier in the week, when they got a unique opportunity to size each other up before the top-of-the-table Super Rugby clash. "I get along well with Whitey, he's a good guy," Genia said. "On Saturday we will give everything but when we are off the field there's no point holding grudges or being tense around each other. I never really look at individual match-ups, there's no point in getting hung up on `I want to play better than him'."

© AAP

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