It’s a new look Waratahs pack this season, minus the old heads of Elsom, Vickerman and Lyons. But when I caught up with new lineout leader and Wallaby second-rower Dean Mumm during the week, he was pretty happy with how the side is shaping up.
In spite of losing the big guns, Mumm said, “The pack feels fine. You know, it’s not like a surprise that these guys were going and we’ve prepared for a while in that manner. With Foles (Michael Foley) there at the helm, he’s an excellent coach and he’s got us going in the set piece, which is a big platform for us – especially when we’ve got such a good backline. I’m very confident in our ability and certainly we’re not overly gloating about it, but we think we can muscle up against most packs this year.”
Given the way the Tah’s pack muscled up against their first round opponents, the Hurricanes, there is cause for optimism amongst the fan base.
So can Waratahs fans expect more of the same?
“The thing about those trips is you just want to get over there, do the business and get home, but yeah it was great to get the points. I don’t think we put all we wanted out there, but we did well as a team and we made them work for everything so it was the way we wanted to play them I think. We can take those positives out of it.”
One of the big positives was defence, particularly in the last 20 minutes, and Mumm agreed that a solid line laid the platform for the win: “You have to defend hard against a side like that. It goes pretty heavily in their favour if you start missing tackles and not manning up on those sort of blokes.
“Definitely there is a strong spirit in the team. The defensive results are just a reflection of our attitude, and we were committed to the win last week, and we’re committed to each other.”
Spectators who noticed the defence also noticed the willingness of the backline to attack.
Lote Tuquiri going outside a man to score was a sight for sore eyes, particularly after the percentage rugby of the last few years under Ewen McKenzie and Mumm says that the forwards are enjoying seeing the backs cut loose.
“The backs are very eager to attack. During the trials we scored some tries off first phase which is a forwards dream, you know, they’re running pretty sharp at the moment and we’ve certainly got some talent out there which is pleasant.”
As one of the fastest forwards in Australian rugby, Mumm knows all about running sharp. So how does he feel about being in tight with the added responsibility of calling the lineouts?
“Being at 6 or in the second row doesn’t really bother me. I don’t know where my future lies whether it’s at 6 or second row, but it’s certainly good to be able to play both and I’m happy to go wherever they want to pick me really.
“I enjoyed calling the lineouts. I can’t pretend that I’m experienced at it because I haven’t really done it much, but it is definitely something I looked towards doing at some stage in my career and with Vicks going away it’s there to be done at the moment and I enjoy it. It’s a nice challenge.”
And the challenge is on again this week against the Chiefs who look like a big threat in this year’s competition.
“Yeah, the Chiefs are a quality side. They have an outstanding backline and they get talked about a lot, from the back three right through, they’ve got plenty of wheels. Their pack’s quite good as well, pretty solid in the lineout and a good scrum which has been causing a lot of people hassles.
“We’ve seen footage of them against the Crusaders last week and the Hurricanes in a trial and they’ve been doing a bit of damage so that’s going to be a great test for us.”
So what has coach Chris Hickey been emphasizing for the Waratahs to focus on in their first home game of 2009?
“It’s a physicality issue again this week. We’ve really got to muscle up, particularly on the big fellas but also on the speed out wide. We’ve got to make sure particularly that our kick chase line is intact because they’ve got the ability to counter attack from anywhere. Brendan Leonard is a key player for them. He’s a fantastic player and he’s one of those players who can rip you apart if you let him, so those are the areas we’re looking at.”
So how are the boys feeling about being back at their home ground?
“It’s really exciting to come back home having won against the Hurricanes, and we really hope everyone comes out to watch against the Chiefs.”
An entertaining game then?
“Oh yeah I think so. Like I say, there’s plenty of wheels on both sides. I just hope I don’t get stuck out there!”
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