By Darren Walton
November 27th 2009 @ 12:50am
Related coverage
Mumm’s the word as Deans calls up in-form Waratah
In-form lock Dean Mumm has forced his way into Australia’s starting line-up for Saturday’s spring tour-ending Test with Wales at Millennium Stadium.
Mumm has relegated Mark Chisholm to the bench after captaining the Wallabies‘ mid-week side to 30-point thrashings of Gloucester and Cardiff.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has also rewarded Mumm’s NSW Waratahs teammate Kurtley Beale for his dazzling two-try effort against Cardiff on Tuesday night with a promotion to the bench.
Beale, 20, played out of position on the wing but grabbed his opportunity with an eye-catching display and is now in line for his long-awaited first Test cap.
The former Australian schoolboys star has replaced Waratahs teammate Lachie Turner in the 22-man squad.
Along with Mumm’s inclusion, Deans has made two other changes to his starting side, recalling openside flanker David Pocock for George Smith and naming Digby Ioane at outside centre after he was a late withdrawal from last Saturday’s shock loss to Scotland with a shoulder injury.
Ioane replaces Ryan Cross, who has featured in all six previous tour games.
Veteran Matt Dunning replaces Sekope Kepu as Australia’s reserve prop.
Halfback Will Genia (knee), powerhouse No.8 Wycliff Palu (neck) and star loosehead Benn Robinson (shoulder) have all been named to start subject to completing Thursday’s contact session in Cardiff.
Fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper said the second-string Wallabies’ historic 31-3 victory over Cardiff has the Test side pumped to end their tour in style on Saturday.
The four-try, 31-3 rout was Australia’s first win over Cardiff in 101 years, snapping a run of six straight defeats to the Welsh club side stretching back to the Wallabies’ maiden northern hemisphere tour in 1908.
“It’s got me going. The boys played outstanding, really gave it to them,” Ashley-Cooper said.
“That was definitely what we needed, especially coming after that Scotland loss. It’s revved us up.
“The spirit and the mood in the dressing room is very contagious and I’m ready to go.
“We’ve got an opportunity to finish the tour off and make amends and really go home on a positive note.
“So that’s very important to me and very important to everyone else. It’s our last game of the year, our last game of the tour, and why wouldn’t we get up for this.”
The Wallabies have only beaten Wales in Cardiff once in four meetings since 2001.
“A win against Wales at Millennium Stadium is always special, very, very special,” Ashley-Cooper said.
“They’ve had a really good run. They had a great win against Argentina last week and a solid win against Samoa. They’re on fire and we are going to have to be on our game to get up against these blokes.
“They’re playing some good footy, and they always do; it’s always a great contest against Australia here.
“You look at the last couple of games here, they’ve been cracking games of footy, especially last year, even though we lost, it was a cracking game of footy.”
Wallabies: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Hynes, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, Will Genia, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (capt), Dean Mumm, James Horwill, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson. Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Matt Dunning, Mark Chisholm, George Smith, Luke Burgess, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale.
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(5)
Parisien said | November 27th 2009 @ 1:16am | Report comment
Congrats to Dean Mumm, he derserves it, also Beale although I’m sure he’ll stay on the bench the full 80 minutes. But the big question is will Deans switch Cooper and Giteau? Expect the Welsh to puts some kicks up against Mitchell, as well as run at him. The defence in the centres is going to have to be strong too.
Who Needs Melon said | November 27th 2009 @ 5:47am | Report comment
He does deserve it. But anyone is ‘in form’ relative to Chisholm at the moment. Except maybe Giteau.
mcxd said | November 27th 2009 @ 1:59am | Report comment
Can we send in Palu’s mum before the Wales game to rev them up ?
Jameswm said | November 27th 2009 @ 8:55am | Report comment
How is TPM not starting? it’s not like Moore’s throwing has been sensational, and TPN is better everywhere else.
Cotton McKnight said | November 27th 2009 @ 10:58am | Report comment
I’m wth you James, the lineouts are the problem and TPN’s throw is better than Moore, also I’ll bet that Wales saw how well the rolling maul went against the Wallabies and will be sure to use it, thus TPN aggression will be needed there.