'Every kid's dream' Scotland scrum-half on summer goal and Jamison Gibson-Park respect and rivalry

The Scotland No 9 has a lot of respect for his Irish counterpart who was man of the match in the 27-22 bonus-point win over England in Dublin on Saturday, a couple of hours after White had helped the Scots beat Italy in Edinburgh.

The pair locked horns at the Aviva Stadium in last year’s Six Nations, with Gibson-Park emerging victorious as the Irish won 17-13. Ireland clinched the championship that day, retaining the title, and celebrated long into the Dublin night. Scotland put in an impressive defensive performance without looking like they were going to win the match and have now lost 10 in a row against Ireland.

Hope springs eternal, and the absence of Andy Farrell is being clung to by many Scotland supporters, but Ireland’s squad remains one of the most richly talented in the world and Gibson-Park is a lynchpin.

“He's a top player, isn't he?” said White. “He's a fantastic scrum-half that's played very well for Ireland and been a key figure for that Ireland team for the last couple of years. I think the way that he plays the game is very smart. He has a fantastic passing game and he controls the way that Ireland play really well.

“So yeah, it'll obviously be a great challenge and it's something that I'm really excited for. I just enjoy being in these big games, playing in front of a sold out Murrayfield feels amazing and I like to think that I enjoy the pressure games.

“That's what your drive is, is to make sure that you give yourself the best chance to take the opportunity in the big games.”

White won his 25th cap in the win over Italy and marked the occasion with his fifth Test try, finishing in the corner after a deft offload from Dave Cherry. It wasn’t plain sailing for the Scots who had led 19-6 before Italy got back on level terms early in the second half. Two tries from Huw Jones (the second and third of his hat-trick) put the home side back in the driving seat and helped Gregor Townsend’s side open their campaign with a maximum five points. It was a solid win but White knows a big improvement will be required this weekend.

“I think Italy are a top side,” said the Toulon scrum-half. “But there's plenty for us to work on from that game to take forward into the game against Ireland and we're going to have to be more accurate. When we get up and we get ahead in the game, or vice versa, we have to be strong within those moments and keep the momentum going or if not, we have to make the adjustment early and attack that.”

With the British & Irish Lions providing a persistent subplot to this season’s Six Nations, White knows it is games like Sunday’s that offer the best opportunity to stake a claim for a place on the plane to Australia. Farrell is on sabbatical from Ireland while he runs the rule over the contenders and it will be hard to dislodge Gibson-Park from the Lions coach’s thinking but White would love to make the squad.

“It's every kid's dream but I know if I strip it all back, I just have to be training well, competing well and playing well for Scotland,” he said. “That's all that matters and if I'm not doing that then nothing else is fathomable.

“I just enjoy being here and love being here. I know that it's very finite, this can be gone in an instant. So whenever I'm in camp and have the opportunity to be here I just work hard for this, for the next game.

“You've got great players in each position and you don't know whether you're going to get picked every week. So for me I'm just focusing on the next game. I know that's cliche but it's true.

“You can't get too in your own head and worry about all of these things that are so out of your control. I've just got to do what I can do and what I can control to give myself the best chance of playing well.”

White has George Horne breathing down his neck in the Scotland squad, and Jamie Dobie has also been in fine form this season. If anything, it’s even tougher at club level where Baptiste Serin vies with him for the No 9 jersey at Toulon. The 46-times capped France international is not part of Fabien Galthie’s Six Nations squad but has started the majority of Toulon’s matches this season.

“I had an injury after the November tests and was out for six or seven weeks, which was a bit frustrating and obviously that's part of the sport,” said White. “It takes a bit of time to get back into it and part of it is obviously when you play for a top team, you have top-quality opposition.

“When you play for a club like Toulon, there's not just one nine that you're competing against, somebody who's got almost 50 French caps. You look at the rest of our team, every single player in the squad is a top-level international and that's one of the beauties of being out there, is that you have to push yourself and challenge yourself and compete with the best. So I'm enjoying that challenge.

“You have to be on it and play well to keep your spot. I enjoy being back out there on Saturday and every time I get to play for Scotland, it's a huge honour and something that I cherish and don't take for granted.”