Ben White ‘hasn’t stopped shaking’ since late British and Irish Lions call-up

“He called me this morning – about an hour ago – and I just haven’t stopped shaking since. It’s an incredible honour. I’m really excited.”

White admitted that it “was tough” to watch the original Lions squad be announced as he missed out on selection.

“But it was an experience that I can put in the locker,” he said. “I just knew I had to just do what I could and try to play well for my club, Toulon.

“I was really excited to be on tour with Scotland, and to play for Scotland’s amazing, and I was focused on that.

“I guess that someone’s looking out for me upstairs. It’s falling on my feet.”

White “straight away” phoned his parents to deliver the news.

“I don’t think they could quite believe it,” he said. “They were obviously just incredibly proud. It was a great phone call to have.

“It’s something you dream of but you never really think you’ll do.”

White brings Scotland’s Lions representation in the 38-strong squad back up to eight after forward Zander Fagerson was forced to withdraw through injury.

“Obviously there’s there’s a fair few Scottish boys in the squad and it’ll be great to see those boys as well as also meeting the players that I don’t know too well,” he said.

Two minutes after Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend passed on his congratulations, White was told he was booked on a noon flight to Australia.

Townsend now has to prepare for Saturday’s meeting with the Maori All Blacks without his 25-times capped first-choice scrum-half.

“It was an honour to be called up to play for Scotland and to be here in New Zealand was amazing and I was really looking forward to three big test matches,” White added.

“But the squad that we have here is amazing and I know that they’ll they’re going to go well against the Maori at the weekend. It’s going to be a great game for us and I think we’ve trained really well, so it’ll be exciting to see how we go and I’ll be watching for sure.”