Pat Lam hails Nathan White’s determination after Ireland debut

Connacht coach Pat Lam said that it measure of his endurance and determination that Nathan White was able to overcome injury and disappointment to become the oldest player in the professional era to make his debut for Ireland.

The New Zealand born prop, who will be 34 next month, is now the third oldest player to make his debut for Ireland and passes John Fogarty as the oldest in the professional era to make his bow.

White, who became Irish-qualified last October, was poised to be selected against South Africa last November but his hopes of an international cap seemed to be over when he ruptured tendons in his right arm and faced months on the sidelines.

But he battled back ahead of schedule and came off the bench for the Irish Wolfhounds against England Saxons in Cork in January, but didn’t get a look in during the Six Nations.

Lam said that White never gave up on his international dream, even when it was pulled away from him when he was on the cusp of his debut last November.

“He was disappointed and so were we but there is nothing you can do but get back and work, control what you can do and just work hard and get back,” said Lam.

“And Nathan has done that and we are very pleased for him, a proud moment for him and his family and a proud moment for Connacht when he ran on the field, another capped player for Connacht.

“He is a senior player for us, very respected and I know he will make the most of the opportunity to try and push for a place in the World Cup squad.

“It is a measure of the man that he never gave up, that’s what he is like, he just gets on with it,” said Lam.

White, a Heineken Cup winner with Leinster in 2012, is now third on the list of Ireland’s oldest debutants.

Lock Davy Tweed, jailed for eight years in 2013 after being convicted of child sex abuse, was 35 years and 111 days when made his debut against France in Lansdowne Road in 1995, while prop Phelim McLoughlin was 34 years and 162 days when he made his bow against Australia in Lansdowne Road in 1976.

White was 33 years and 345 days when he came off the bench on Saturday to become Ireland’s third oldest debutant in history, and the oldest in the professional era.

Meanwhile World Rugby have confirmed Hawk-Eye technology is to be used at next month’s Rugby World Cup. World Rugby announced that Hawk-Eye’s SMART Replay service will be used to “strengthen the accuracy and efficiency” of television match official decision-making, while also providing invaluable support for medics in the area of identifying and reviewing head impacts.

While protocol will be unchanged relating to questions that the referee asks of the TMO, enhanced technology will see access to simultaneous multiple-angle replays in real-time and slow motion, along with a zoom facility.

World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper said: “Central to our sport is the integrity of player welfare and the match official decision-making process, and we are delighted to be collaborating with Rugby World Cup 2015, host broadcaster ITV and Hawk-Eye to deliver a solution that will enhance these critical areas.

“Following successful tests, the system has clear benefits for the match official team, the medical team and fans around the world.”

The multi-camera technology used in sports like tennis, cricket and football was tested at Twickenham two days ago, when England beat France in their opening World Cup warm-up fixture, and it will now operate during a major rugby union competition for the first time.

ITV project manager Paul McNamara added: “At critical moments, the new technology will be able to add a split screen and zoom feature to the existing camera angles to help the TMO and referee in the decision-making process.”