'Learning a hell of a lot': Wallabies brains trust Nic White and Eddie Jones plot Springboks upset in Rugby Championship

The wins, the false dawns, the globetrotting expeditions and the plans for how the Wallabies can get their hands on the World Cup for the first time in 24 years.

It has been little more than 12 months to the day since White said Jones' name was the first that pops to mind if he could dine with anyone of his choosing.

Jones was then the mastermind behind England, a lifetime before returning home on a five-year deal designed to bring success back to the Wallabies and put rugby back in the headlines for the right reasons.

So how does White feel about that dinner date now as Jones' Wallabies prepare to fly to South Africa for their Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks?

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"I definitely would still stick to that," White said.

"He's a bloke that has been around the tracks, right? He's so experienced and I think we're all learning a hell of a lot from him.

"Something he keeps saying is he can't do it, he can only pass on his knowledge and his experiences, but at the end of the day, the guys that go out there and really make the difference in Test matches will be the blokes that go out there and play.

"He's very good, I wouldn't change one thing. He's a true character and a guy we're all learning a lot from."

But there are times even a 59-Test veteran like White gets nervous in Wallabies camp, let alone a rookie playmaker like Melbourne Rebels sensation Carter Gordon.

Jones brandished a bright orange cattle prod during the first team meeting after he returned to the helm of the Wallabies in April.

But for all the theatrics, Jones is clear in how he wants the Wallabies to play. He has selected big bodies for the trip to South Africa, a sign the Australians will be asked to match the Springboks' physical style.

Jones has brought a referee in for every session in a bid to clean up the Wallabies' discipline. He marches to Gordon - who says White has "actually been getting into me a little bit on the field which I love" on the field and paints a picture of what he wants to see.

"You hear the stories of Eddie. Plenty of past players have been on podcasts and in media, and you hear about it. I'm not going to lie, you get a bit nervous and the cattle prod does come out at times," Western Force-bound scrumhalf White said.

"But also, he cares a lot. He's so unbelievably motivated. Every day he is coming in, and everything is about a winning mindset and getting better. It's infectious, it really is.

"We're in a good place at the moment, we're working hard and there is still plenty of hard work to go, but he is certainly leading it from the top."

The Springboks will be without captain Siya Kolisi, flyhalf Handre Pollard and lock Eben Etzebeth for the tournament opener in Pretoria on July 9 [AEST] but the Wallabies will still fly to South Africa as rank outsiders.

Never in seven attempts have the Wallabies beaten the Springboks at Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld Stadium, the site of South Africa's largest score against an Australian team [61 in 1997].

"It's a hell of a challenge, to go over there and do what hasn't been done," White said.

"We've been working hard, we understand there is a huge challenge over there for us, the place that will be quite hostile, the crowd will be sold out. They will lift. They're the games you want to play in. It's pretty special to win in a place where you're not expected to win."

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