Defiant White 'will not change'

By Ben Blackmore  

Defiant White 'will not change'

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England bad-boy Julian White has revealed he will not change his aggressive style of play when he returns to the international arena on Saturday.

The Leicester prop has been recalled for his 32nd cap against Scotland at Murrayfield, after first choice tighthead Matt Stevens was ruled out with a sprained shoulder.

White's return arrives on the back of an eight-week suspension for fighting with Newcastle Falcons lock Andy Perry, and concerns surround his ability to check his discipline against the Scots.

"I'm not the first person to be sent off and I won't be the last and sometimes when you are a competitive person these things happen," stated the 32-year-old.

"I let the club down, the supporters and it reflects badly on your family. I was disappointed. But you can't just say: 'I'll never do it again'.

"Ideally you won't, but it was a spur of the moment thing. People took the moral high ground and said it shouldn't happen and I totally agree - but until you have been playing and put in that position you can't make judgements.

"I don't let my disciplinary record hang over me. It bothered me once but I am 32 now and only have a few years left and I want to enjoy my rugby."

White is in defiant mood ahead of Saturday's fixture, a match that will go a long way towards deciding the destination of the 2006 Six Nations.

The Leicester man has been drafted into the England starting XV with head coach Andy Robinson claiming that he has improved his overall game.

However, White refutes such an opinion, insisting that it is too late in his career to add an open game to his capabilities in the tight.

"I wouldn't say I am playing any different now than I ever have done.

"I am 32, you can't worry too much about changing your style. You have got to play to your strengths. Of course you want to be involved with England as much as possible, but at the end of the day you are who you are.

"Ideally you want props who can do both but I don't think anything has really changed."