Mumm: Let's make more memories

Dean Mumm insists he will have plenty of happy memories to take home to Australia once he brings the curtain down on his Exeter Chiefs career in the not too distant future.

After three seasons in Devon, the 31-year-old is set to run out for one final time at Sandy Park this weekend as the Chiefs prepare to welcome Sale Sharks in the Aviva Premiership.

A sell-out crowd will roar Mumm and his team-mates into battle this Saturday, but Exeter’s inspirational skipper doesn’t want his Westcountry experience to end just yet.

Instead, the 33-time capped Wallabies international is looking to create more history for the Devon club as they chase a place in the end of season play-offs.

Battling it out with Leicester Tigers and Saracens for the final two places in the division’s top four, it really is crunch time for Mumm and his fellow Chiefs, who last weekend secured a memorable 24-20 victory against Sarries at Allianz Park.

“That’s a big win,” said Mumm in the immediate aftermath of Exeter’s first win on the 4G surface. “It was a tiring game and the guys are pretty pooped in the sheds right now. However, that’s what it takes to win big games.

“During the week we didn’t talk so much about winning, it was more about making sure we won the energy battles and the key moments. Looking at the game overall, I’d say we probably did that and we did it well.”

Indeed, last Sunday’s win ensured the Chiefs not only leapfrogged their hosts to move back into fourth spot, but has put them on the cusp of reaching the play-offs for the very first time.

“By winning that keeps things in our hands to a certain extent,” added Mumm. “All we can do this week [against Sale] is look to win again and then worry about the rest later.

“Sale this weekend will be tough, as it always is, and we know we’ll need to be on top of our game. They’ve beaten us in the last two games we’ve played, so we’ve got motivation in that respect as well from the obvious.

“What will be important is that we get the basics of our game right, we show the same energy as we did last week and we again look to win as many of those key moments as possible.”

In what is sure to be a cracker of a contest, Mumm hopes a packed Sandy Park will help to drive the Chiefs forward in what is yet another crunch encounter for Rob Baxter’s side.

“Week by week we have different propositions to contend with,” said the Aussie. “We did one last week by defeating Saracens at their place and now we’ve got another this week in the form of Sale.

“As I said, they’ve been good against us recently and they’ve caused us one or two issues, so we’ll have to do our analysis on them this week, get through what will be a shorter week and then mentally we have to be right up for it.”

Certainly leading the Chiefs into the play-off picture would be a fitting send-off for Mumm, who is set to rejoin his former club, NSW Waratahs, once he returns Down Under.

“I’ve excellent memories of Exeter to take home with me, but hopefully I can have a few more before I leave,” continued Mumm. “I love playing for this team, but it’s not time to shut up shop just yet. I can look back at things in a while - but for now we’ve got a huge job to do as a team.”