Wallaby forward Dave Dennis will leave the NSW Waratahs at the end of the 2016 Super Rugby season, signing with English Premiership club the Exeter Chiefs for three years.
The Waratahs on Monday confirmed Dennis would depart following this year’s campaign, joining Queensland prop Greg Holmes in the side previously captained by his NSW teammate Dean Mumm.
With 18 Australian and 93 Waratahs’ caps to his name, the 30-year-old captain has played all of his Super Rugby games for NSW since debuting in 2007.
After making his Wallaby debut in 2012, Dennis became one of only two players, together with Nathan Sharpe, to feature in all 15 Tests played that year.
Dennis said he was comfortable with making the decision now.
“It was a really hard decision because I’ve been here my whole career – I’ve spent 10 years here. I could easily stay here until my career ended but I’ve always wanted to challenge myself in a different environment.
“I’m not getting any younger and, with the transition of Michael (Hooper) into the captaincy, I’m really comfortable with the way I’ll be leaving the club at the end of the year, and I think that’s really important.
“I wanted to announce this early in the year so it wasn’t a distraction for myself or anyone else. Now I can just put that aside and really focus on what we want to achieve this year as a team, which for me is the number one priority.
“I look forward to looking back next year and seeing a lot of the young guys we have in the squad this year, like Jed Holloway and Jack Dempsey, really progressing and pushing forward, being consistent players for the Waratahs. For me, it will be really satisfying to say I played a small part of that,” Dennis said.
He won the Waratahs’ Players’ Player Matthew Burke Cup in 2012 and was subsequently named NSW captain in 2013.
Despite being forced to the sidelines with anterior cruciate knee ligament damage during the Waratahs’ inaugural Super Rugby championship year in 2014, he continued to play a key role as a mentor.
Exeter coach Rob Baxter admitted he saw many similarities in new signing Dennis and former Chiefs skipper Mumm.
“When you look at the make-up of our squad, he’s got the right experience we want to recruit and the right leadership qualities which will be important because we have got some young players within the squad that we need to bring through,” Baxter said.
“Yes, there are lots of similarities with Dean. Positional-wise, they can both play lock or in the back-row.
“They’ve both come from the Waratahs and, as I said, I’ve spoken to Dave, spoken to Dean, and they would have spoken themselves, and for me it’s a comfortable and very good fit,” Baxter said.
Markus
Guest
Agreed, Dennis' standout year with the Tahs had more to do with being the only Waratah forward bothering to turn up each week than it did with being the best Australian 6 at the time. You could never accuse him of not giving his all every game, but that wasn't quite enough to be a regular Test player. I can't agree that right playing 6’s aren’t really noticed too much. Kaino, Burger and Juan Smith are/were regularly mentioned in the discussions of the world's best, Fardy for Australia has regularly been one of the Wallabies standout players, and Elsom before him was considered the best player in NH rugby.
Utah
Guest
Ben Mowen was in better form as a 6 in 2012/3. Deans persisted with Dennis (who was playing in a poor Waratah side), despite the form and leadership of Mowen. Had to eventually capitulate and select Mowen (for the Lions series) but the delay didn't help the reputation of Deans or Dennis.
CUW
Guest
also Ice Toeava is going to Clearmont immediately. though he has not played in NZ for a long time :)
CUW
Guest
problem for Dennis was he came up against some really good 6s like Kaino Burgur Juan Smith ..... alongside such, he is just a club player, but among auzzies he is a good player. also Deans picked him on form and he was in form. just that he did not have that extra bite of a JakPot :)
CUW
Guest
VICTOR VITO is also going to France after this super season. the changing face of the exchange rates seems to be working against the Aus and NZ teams.
Boomeranga
Guest
You mention development of young blokes and that is where I wonder if we are really losing out. We will always have young players to take over, but I noticed in the announcements around both Dennis and Holmes signing for Exeter that Rob Baxter has spoken about the value they will provide in nurturing the Chiefs (and therefore England's) up and coming forwards. Both of those guys would appear to be terrific mentors - they each worked hard to get where they have and have good heads on their shoulders. We can't be upset with the guys themselves, but I do wonder at how much we lose in generational on-field coaching with this exodus.
Markus
Guest
Montpellier seems to have something similar now with Jake White as coach. And Grenoble looks to be the Brumbies unofficial partner in the NH nowadays.
Markus
Guest
Australia had already played without Giteau and Mitchell for over 4 years. Australia can and did replace them. Their reintroduction provided little, and many here would disagree that they were indeed the best in their position for the world cup. Horwill was not even at the World Cup. Players in their early to mid 30s who have left Australia after playing here for 8 seasons or more is not a player drain. It has been the norm for the last 20 years, will continue to occur in future, and is no more a drain than players simply opting to retire outright at the same age would be considered a drain. Kepu as a prop would be an exception as he has been a standout and as a prop is expected to just be hitting peak age. Toomua due to his age does fall into the 'drain' category, as would Cooper. But then Cooper is a complete liability and useless to the Wallabies anyway, right NB? "Oh no thanks, we dont want J.Savea because we have some wings” Poor analogy, Savea is in his mid-20s and a current Test starter. A more accurate one would be Joe Rokococo, for whom a "No thanks, we already have a squad full of wings who are younger, cheaper and with far more room for growth" would definitely be a potential response from a club.
Not Bothered
Guest
I dont get it. So the Rebels wouldnt want Smith because they have some flankers? How does that make sense. "Oh no thanks, we dont want J.Savea because we have some wings" Im talking about the quality of player. Just replace them huh? You do realize that you cant just replace them right? That that kind of player drain cant be just replaced? The quality of player is dropping and if you lose a Super Rugby player of their quality the players you replace them with are not as good 90% of the time. I just dont buy this nonsense that they are not much of a loss because theyve given their best to Aus rugby. Mitchell was at his best for Aus at the WC and considered Australias BEST winger opposite Ausyralias other BEST winger AAC. Kepu was Australias BEST prop. Giteau was Australias BEST 12. Toomua Australias 2nd best 12. You cant just replace them. That is talent and experience of Australias highest possible quality, gone. You cant just replace players with others equally as good and you havnt. Thats why Giteau, Cooper, Kepu, Mitchell, AAC, Toomua, Horwill and others were in the Wallabies, because you DONT have players as good.
Not Bothered
Guest
I wasnt suggesting he would play for them.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Dennis was never poor for Australia. He just wasn't an absolute stand out. He did his job well, it's just right playing 6's aren't really noticed too much.
Squirrel
Guest
I'm surprised the reds did not buy him. The reds are screwed
Utah
Guest
Dave Dennis comes across as a truly lovely bloke. Not his fault Deans overrated him and continued to pick him when others were maybe more deserving. I also think his game has improved the last year or two and I think he will be really missed by the Waratahs.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Before returning, Dean Mumm played his last test in November 2010. In those 5 years, Dennis has played most of his 92 Super Rugby caps. Dennis also never played lock at Super Rugby level until 2015. Mumm started as flanker 5 times in his 44 caps. He was considered primarily a lock and selected on that basis.
Beans
Guest
Utter rubbish TWAS... There is one year's difference in their ages and both have played next to one another as lock/flanker at Sydney Uni and the Waratahs for most of their careers yet Dean has significantly more representative caps. I recognise that Dave Dennis has suffered some horrendous knee injuries but at no point, when both have been eligible, has Dave Dennis been ahead of Dean Mumm in the representative pecking order in either role. It must be some sort of NSW conspiracy!!!
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Dennis was never a poor performer for Australia. He wasn't exceptional and played in a competitive position (Back row). Majority of Mumm's caps were when we had very poor depth at lock, and our forwards performed very poorly. Mumm being one of them a number of times.
nmpcart
Guest
Good on Dave Dennis, as a non Waratahs supporter I can say that I think he has been a great servant of the game and has always represented his teams well. It makes sense for him to go over there and experience a different lifestyle and different playing environment - who wouldn't want to take that opportunity after 10 years at the same place? He allows the Tahs to bring through new players and has given them plenty of notice so that he can be used to help develop some of the other guys and he won't have any career decisions weighing on his mind so he can go into his last SR season confident in what he is doing.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Thanks Davo... all the best. Hey Davo fyi they do great fry-ups for brekkie in Exeter :)
Oscar Redding
Guest
I agree, no doubt there is some short term pain but the opportunities that open up for other blokes to hit the Super Rugby park and the experience gained by those younger blokes throwing themselves at Europe feel like long term gain. Balance is key but it looks pretty good right now.
Beans
Guest
44 Test Caps (one as Captain), 86 Super Rugby Caps and 70 games as Captain of the Exeter Chiefs but in every one of those games the coaches and selectors had it wrong?