Dean Mumm opens up about World Cup dream

Dean Mumm is nothing if not determined. Having packed away his boots after leading Exeter Chiefs to a resounding victory over Sale Sharks in mid-May, he boarded a plane back home to Sydney with the intention of grabbing a few games for his beloved Waratahs at the fag-end of the Super Rugby season in a bid to win back his place with the Wallabies in time for the World Cup.
It seemed a long shot, at best. But, two-and-half-months after leaving the bosom of his adopted English side in Devon, where the lock forward earned hero status during a three-year stint that coincided with the Sandy Park outfit winning its first major trophy and establishing itself among the Premiership and European elite, Mumm's high-risk, high-reward strategy has paid off.
Not only did he get to play for the 'Tahs, his performances were so good that he confounded the many doubters by being summoned into Australia's Rugby Championship squad. And having earned his 34th cap in last week's stunning 34-9 victory over Argentina in Mendoza, helping himself to a fine try in the process, Mumm now has his eyes firmly set on returning to these shores next month – only this time as part of the ‘enemy' looking to wreck England's World Cup chances.
By anyone's reckoning it is quite a story. “It's a real privilege to be back in the Wallabies set-up and that was one of the reasons for coming home, to try and get in there and play more Tests,” Mumm, 31, told The Rugby Paper.
“To get back in the squad in the first place was very exciting and then to actually get the opportunity to play was a pretty good achievement. To follow that with a great win over Argentina and score a try… well, let's just say it made it a pretty good night. It's been over four-and-a-half years, which is quite a long time between Tests!
“When you're younger and you get to go through the jersey presentations, you always treasure the people doing it but maybe you don't treasure the jersey as much. But when it was presented to me last week it was a real honour and to put it back on and get out there on the field was an unbelievably proud moment, particularly as I thought I'd given it all up when I went over to England.”
Having nailed targets one and two, Mumm is in the 31-man squad for the forthcoming double-header against New Zealand. Target three will be featuring in those games, whilst the fourth objective will be to make the World Cup squad itself. Australia look in good shape after back-to-back victories over South Africa and Argentina, but Mumm knows the acid test is to come.
“We've made a good start and we're happy with the way we're going,” he said. “The win against South Africa was one more of character than pure skill, but those things matter. And then to go to Mendoza, a place where we suffered a bad loss last year, and get a reasonably big result was very pleasing.
“But the thing you've got to be wary about is that traditionally we can get a little bit ahead of ourselves and we know we've got two huge games coming against New Zealand.”
Australia's pack, a regular source of amusement in the Northern Hemisphere, has performed creditably over the last fortnight. It has to step up again.
Mumm adds: “We're working very hard as a pack and we've made progress, but we're not 100 per cent where we want to be. Scrummaging-wise we've done pretty well and we've improved as games have gone on, when our bench and work we've been doing around the park have paid dividends.
“But we need to work on our set-piece in the early part of games. The All Blacks have a very good set-piece and then the teams we'll play at the World Cup like England and Wales will place huge emphasis on that, so while there are elements of our game to be pleased with over the last two weeks, we're not fooling ourselves. There's work to do and we're committed to it.”
Where Australia have traditionally scored highly, of course, is in their back-line, and Mumm acknowledges that the additions of Toulon-based pair Matt Giteau, above, and Drew Mitchell have swelled the options of an attack already brimming with high-class talent in the shape of Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale, Tevita Kuridrani and the irrepressible Israel Folau.
Has the arrival of Giteau and Mitchell changed the dynamic? “I think it has a little bit,” says Mumm. “Drew Mitchell has been double-kissing the boys ‘hello' every morning and that's added a strange dynamic to Australian rugby!
Drew and Matt are quite light-hearted guys and that brings an air of fun to the camp. There's a different perspective to them now from the people I played with before they went overseas and that happens when you move away from Australian rugby.
“We're a long way away from things down here and you can get quite insular in the way you think about things, particularly in the terms of the SANZAR approach to rugby, so to leave and go away gives you a new found respect for what you do in rugby. But, more importantly, you get to understand what other people think about the game and as well as benefitting from my own experiences with Exeter, you can see that resonating through Drew and Matt, too.
“Having them around is brilliant and if you look at the back-line we have there are lots of people with the ability to play in various positions. Not only do we have Bernard and Quade going at 10, you've got Matt Toomua, Kurtley and Matt Giteau at 12 who can all play 10 as well, so whilst it makes things difficult selection-wise, it gives us a huge number of options during matches.
“We've got plenty of power out wide now that Drew is back, so you'd have to be pleased with how we're shaping up there. You've got to make those combinations work, though, so that's going to be the big challenge in these games against New Zealand heading into the World Cup.”
While the decision of Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika to include overseas based stars such as Mumm, Giteau, Mitchell and, potentially, ex-Leinster man Kane Douglas in his World Cup plans it has not been universally well received Down Under, although to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere it appears a perfectly sound move.
Why wouldn't you want to utilise a group of men who have earned their stripes in Europe, have an intimate understanding of rugby in these parts and can assist?
“I do think it's an advantage,” says Mumm. “You don't know what the Northern Hemisphere teams are going to do or how they will select and prepare, but just to have an understanding of the mentality and the way people see situations and read them has to be helpful to us.
“In saying that, it's probably nothing Michael Cheika himself doesn't know because he's spent a lot of time in Ireland and France and been successful in both places. He's got a good understanding of it, but having a few players who've been involved in northern rugby gives you a bit more balance. We've gained experience of playing up there and we'll aim to utilise that.”
Whilst there is Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup business against the All Blacks, above, to attend to, Mumm is not shy of admitting the World Cup is at the back of his mind. All too quickly the eighth global gathering will be upon us and the Wallabies have a proud record on British soil, having claimed the Webb Ellis Cup here on two occasions in 1991 and 1999. Aussies have traditionally been enthusiastic travellers and Mumm allows himself to dream of making it a hat-trick of wins.
He explained: “The World Cup has certainly been mentioned and it would be ignorant not to talk about it because it's the journey we're on and where we want to go. Whilst everyone needs to concentrate on New Zealand and not get ahead of themselves, there is also a deep understanding that you're moving towards even bigger goals and it would be foolish to ignore them.
“I was 15 the last time we won. My parents were over there watching it but as a youngster I was very privileged to be around when the Wallabies were successful and competitive at every World Cup. The real question, I guess, is can you offer the same thing now when you're wearing the jersey? Well, that's the aim and I hope to get the chance.”
Being paired with England and Wales in a ‘Group of Death' is a daunting prospect, but Mumm is wise enough to remind anyone who cares to listen that Fiji are not to be dismissed. “They've just reached the Pacific Nations Cup final against Samoa and that will be a cracking game, so the Fijians will be match-fit and you've only got to look at the quality of the players they have playing in Super Rugby and Europe to know they're going to be dangerous all over the field at the World Cup.
“New Zealand and ourselves have got a fair few Fijian-bred guys in their squads and there's lots of talent going around there, so they're going to be quite a handful on top of what the rest of our Pool has to offer.
“Seeing the Fijians come through will whet people's appetites and from a player and spectator perspective, it's going to be an excellent Pool to watch week-in, week-out.”
Mumm has twice played against England at Twickenham, winning in 2009 before being on the receiving end a year later. Going back for a personal decider certainly appeals. “It would be magnificent,” he adds.
“To have the opportunity to play in front of a full-house at Twickenham against England and Wales would be pretty special. It's a fantastic place and with a bit of World Cup buzz added in there as well, it's simply going to be electric. I've just got to get there!”
NEALE HARVEY