Top four finish is the target for White
LONDON Irish are in the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time in 10 years, but scrum-half Ben White said despite that achievement the Exiles did not regard last season as a success.
Irish qualified for Europe after finishing eighth in the table, but they lost to Worcester in the final of the Premiership Cup despite enjoying home advantage and exited the European Challenge Cup at the quarter-final stage in Toulon.
“Being in the Champions Cup is good for the club, but everyone was frustrated with where we finished in the Premiership,” said the 24-year-old White who made a tryscoring debut off the bench for Scotland against England at Murrayfield last season.
“We should have achieved more and been pushing for the top six and we should have won the Premiership Cup. We set the bar higher last season and we cannot let it drop now. We have had a good pre-season and that is vital because we did not start well last year.”
Irish failed to win any of their opening five Premiership matches, although they drew with Sale and Gloucester, and were successful in just one of the next three before finding form either side of Christmas. “What was frustrating was that we did not show what we could do fully throughout the campaign,” said White, who came through Leicester’s academy and is the youngest player to appear for the Tigers.
“We showed we can compete with the top teams in the league and we had some good results, but what we are striving for is consistency.
“We were not accurate enough in certain areas of the game to turn our five draws into wins. We have an expectation of being in the top four and that is what we are aiming for. There is no point in walking out on to the pitch if you are aiming for eighth. We believe we have a good enough group and the club backs us to deliver.”
Irish are the most attack-minded side in the Premiership. Their desire to keep the ball in hand left them exposed at times and they conceded 11 try bonus points and were involved in 11 matches which had an aggregate of 60 points or more.
“We learned that we cannot switch off in the Premiership,” said White. “We know we can score tries quickly and that is a big benefit to the way we play but we have learned that if we control areas better and are more accurate in decisive moments we won’t need to get four tries in the last 20 minutes.
“We were confident in our attacking game and wanted to play exciting rugby to get the fans behind us and be an attractive team to watch, but we have to make sure we are competing defensively, working hard off the ball, and being really physical for 80 minutes, not 50. “We cannot afford to slip off and concede tries to leave us needing to mount a comeback. We have to up that area of our game, but the way we play is great fun and it is an exciting club to be a part of. We have a good balance between youth and experience and with the players and coaches we have, there is no reason why we cannot become one of the top teams in the league. “What last season has given us is hunger. We do not want to let things slip again. “Everyone here is set on moving forward. There is no reason why we cannot become a leading side and change the way people view us.”
White joined Irish last season having found his opportunities at Leicester limited with Ben Youngs, Richard Wigglesworth and the emerging Jack van Poortvliet, left, his rivals for the scrum-half jersey.
“When I left Leicester, some thought I had been shoved to the side and then kicked out,” he said. “I had another two years left on my contract and could have happily stayed there. But I am competitive.
“I wanted to play week in, week out and do well, pushing myself to become a better player. I enjoyed my years at Leicester, and although there were some tough times, I learned a lot.
“I am glad I made the move because Irish is a
brilliant club. There are not as many on the staff as there were at Leicester, but they all put in really hard work. As players we have to reward that and win more matches.
“Some of the academy players produced by the club in the last 10 years have gone to the top. Henry Arundell and Will Joseph have extended their contracts and there is a long list here like them. They are the heartbeat of the club and it is going to be an interesting year.”
White’s move to Irish prompted Scotland’s head coach Gregor Townsend to get in touch. The scrumhalf qualified through a grandparent and as a teenager had travelled to Scotland to take part in Scottish Exiles sessions.
“When Gregor spoke to me last October, I was really excited,” said White, who appeared in four of the Six Nations rounds and made his first start in the second Test victory over Argentina last month.
“I like the way he approaches the game and the environment he has created. I wanted to be a part of it. It was an enjoyable experience in
Argentina, but losing the last Test, and the series, in the final minute made for a sour end.
“Playing in the World Cup is a goal for me, but there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before then. I want to make the number one spot at Irish mine (he is vying with Nick Phipps) and if I am playing well, I have a better chance of getting picked by Scotland.
“The challenge for Scotland is the same as London Irish’s: making sure we are accurate in key moments to be able to win close games. Being in the Champions Cup means we will have some big matches, but it is not about facing the Stormers and Montpellier. We have to beat them.”