Chiefs reinvigorated Mumm's career

Former Exeter Chiefs skipper Dean Mumm captained Australia to a comfortable World Cup victory over Uruguay on Sunday and the lock credits his time in Aviva Premiership Rugby for reinvigorating his career.

Mumm became the 84th man to skipper the Wallabies when he took the armband for the clash at Villa Park and scored his fourth international try as his troops cruised to a 65-3 triumph against the South American minnows.

The 31-year-old spent three years with the Chiefs after joining in 2012, helping them become an established Aviva Premiership Rugby team before signing with the Waratahs in May of this year.

The move back Down Under was made with the intention of forcing his way into Michael Cheika's World Cup squad but Mumm insists he wouldn't have been able to do that without his spell in the south-west.

"Coming over here and playing has made me a better player, more versatile and well-rounded," he explained. "It gave me a pretty good understanding of England and English life and what sport means to the people here.

"In terms of playing for the Chiefs, I had a wonderful time. In a way it reinvigorated my enjoyment of playing the sport and the enjoyment of playing with the guys around you - the Chiefs lads and now with the Wallabies.



"I am really enjoying where I am and how I'm playing at the moment and the opportunities that have prevented themselves - it's as simple as that."

Victory over Uruguay capped a whirlwind week for Mumm as he rushed to London in the early hours of Friday morning to be by the side of his wife Sarah as she gave birth to the couple's first child, a son.

And although that meant his preparations for the game were less than ideal, the second-rower couldn't be more ecstatic with how the past few days have gone.

"I could probably do with a little more sleep but that's what happens with a baby. It has been a pretty jubilant couple of days," added Mumm.

"The birth of your son is an amazing thing, let alone having the opportunity to captain your country and score a try, which you don't really do very often either! It's all been pretty positive and long may it continue."

Australia now sit top of pool A with two wins from two and face a crunch clash with England at Twickenham next Saturday evening.

England know defeat would almost certainly knock them out of quarter-final contention and while Mumm will try to provide some inside information on the Red Rose, he claims the Wallabies are mainly focused on themselves.

"I'll offer whatever I can - they [England] have people I have played with and spent some time with," he said. "But the guys and the staff are very analytical in their approach and they way they go about things.

"If you spend too much time worrying about anyone else, then you trip up yourself. The focus will be on us, what we can do and how we can improve going into that game."