World Cup Wallaby Nic White said he would love to tackle the All Blacks for the Bledisloe Cup later this year following the halfback's whirlwind 2020.
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Brumbies-bound White, who will first head home to Maitland with his now family of four once a 14-day coronavirus quarantine in Sydney finishes next week, said the prospect of Tests at the end of the Super Rugby season gave players "light at end of this tunnel we're going through".
White, who turned 30 last month and has 31 caps for Australia since his debut seven years ago, said while international fixtures have yet to be confirmed "I don't care if there's no one in the crowd" due to COVID-19 restrictions.
"Rugby players are no different to anyone else, we need something to look forward to," White told the Newcastle Herald.
"While there's a lot of hoops to jump through, and at the end of the day decisions will be made well above our heads with governments allowing what can go ahead, it's a good carrot to have there.
"There's talk of a Rugby Championship and all sorts of things, but a trans-Tasman [series] is probably more likely and that's exciting.
"When you're playing Super Rugby you don't need much more motivation than the chance to win that trophy, but when you're playing against each other each week and there's only five [Australian] teams it's basically possibles v probables all the time.
"So to have that potential for the end of the year adds a bit more spice.
"After what's been a tough year it's a light at the end of this tunnel we're going through.
"I don't care if there's no one in the crowd, if we can beat the All Blacks and win that Bledisloe Cup that's something every player would jump at."
White, who recently finishind his time with English club Exeter, had been in the UK during the global health pandemic after the birth of his second child Sonny on May 18 and upon arriving in the state capital on Thursday was ushered to a Pitt Street hotel.
"I was lucky that the Brumbies and Rugby Australia both delivered a watt bike and some weights, which I have on my two-by-two balcony so it's a pretty small gym," he said. "I'm able to get through some stuff and I've been talking to the strength and conditioning guys, who have given me some things to make sure that I'm ready to hit the ground running when I come out of this."
White, who last took the field in mid-March when his third campaign with Exeter was brought to a halt, expects to link up with the Brumbies later this month.
White also welcomed the return of the Newcastle Wildfires to this year's Shute Shield, which kicks off Saturday, having won the competition with Eastwood in 2011.
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