FORMER Okehampton rugby player Julian White kicked off his World Cup campaign for England as the team booked their place in the quarter-finals after a hard-fought victory over Samoa last weekend.
The Leicester Tigers tight-head prop said he was ?delighted? to have been called up to the 1st XVafter sitting out his country?s first two games against Georgia and South Africa.
?It?s good to get a first start. It?s been frustrating watching but the boys have been playing well,? he said.
Before the game, White acknowledged Samoa were something of an ?unknown quantity? but said he was expecting a ?tight game? as the Samoan backs and forwards ?both handle skillfully?.
White was substituted during the second half of the game, but his replacement, a fellow West Country prop did make his mark on the game. It was Cornishman Phil Vickery who scored the crucial try in England?s tightly-contested 35-22 victory.
For White, 30, his call-up marks the culmination of a long battle to get back into contention for a place in what is the strongest England rugby union team for years.
He served a ten-week suspension following a sending off for head-butting an opponent, which prevented him from playing in last autumn?s internationals, and then missed much of the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Geoff Mills, deputy manager of the Ockment Centre, who coached Julian when he was playing for Okehampton Rugby Club, said he had been following his career when he played at Bristol and now with Leicester and England.
?He stayed with us for about three years. Even at that early stage it was obvious he had talent,? he said.
Mr Mills said he thought Julian had played well against Samoa before being substituted. ?He did the job he was put in to do,? he said.
England?s next game in the World Cup is against Uruguay this weekend.