The Scotland flanker had enjoyed an impressive RBS 6 Nations campaign in a struggling side and was disappointed at missing out on Sir Clive Woodward's original 45-man squad.

He then suffered a further setback when the Irish blindside flanker Simon Easterby won the call to replace Lawrence Dallaglio in the Lions squad just one game into the tour.

But Woodward turned to White after Richard Hill suffered knee ligament damage in the Lions first Test defeat and he will arrive in New Zealand on Wednesday as the 51st member of the squad.

''I was disappointed not to make the (original) squad. I had my holiday in Scotland, did training every couple of days and kept my fitness ticking over. I'm just delighted to be called up,'' White said before his departure.

The 27-year-old, who has 46 Scotland caps, can also play in the second row but he has effectively replaced Hill in a squad that has now seen six changes since it was announced on April 11.

Iain Balshaw never recovered from a thigh problem and was replaced by Mark Cueto before the party even left for New Zealand, since when Malcolm O'Kelly and Simon Taylor have both been invalided home without playing a game.

Dallaglio fractured his ankle 21 minutes into the opening game, against Bay of Plenty, and then came the Lions' nightmare Saturday.

Not only did they lose the first Test but captain Brian O'Driscoll dislocated his shoulder and Hill suffered ligament damage for the second time in eight months.

In addition to that, Welsh centre Tom Shanklin is off tour with a knee problem while lock Danny Grewcock is to return home after being suspended for two months for biting All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu.

Grewcock was replaced in the squad by Welsh lock Brent Cockbain and White now arrives as Lion 51, though he is unlikely to be available to play until the final midweek game, against Auckland on July 5.

''I'm not sure if I'll get any game time because obviously it's late on in the tour by the time I arrive but if I do I will just play my own game and do my best to help the rest of the guys out there,'' said White.

White also brings the Lions' Scottish contingent back up to three - along with hooker Gordon Bulloch and scrum-half Chris Cusiter - following the loss of Taylor to a hamstring strain.