Mumm wants to make more memories
Dean Mumm says the opportunity is there for him and his Exeter Chiefs team-mates to go out and “start making new memories” ahead of the club’s defence of their LV= Cup crown this weekend.
It was back in March that the Australian international had the honour of lifting Exeter’s first piece of major silverware when the Chiefs defeated Northampton Saints on their own Sandy Park turf.
Skipper Mumm grabbed one of two tries on the day, the other going to hooker Chris Whitehead, as Rob Baxter’s claimed a memorable 15-8 victory.
But now the 30-year-old is looking to kick on again, particularly as Saturday’s showdown with Premiership rivals Gloucester will see him make his first appearance of the season.
Mumm has yet to feature for the Devon club this term having undergone extensive shoulder surgery during the summer, but having spent hours in the company of the club’s medical staff and rehab conditioners, he’s more than ready to make his return.
“It’s been a little while and it feels a bit longer for me than otherwise because it includes pre-season. It’s nice to be back and nice to know I’ve got a fit and healthy shoulder,” said Mumm. “It will be all about getting myself involved early on and then you build your confidence from there.
“It gives me an opportunity to hopefully get some game time in to build that match fitness before we get back into a pretty solid group of Premiership games.
“It will be nice to get away from the rehab conditioners who have throughly had their claws into me for months now, but it will also be good to be back and involved in a team environment, so I’m really looking forward to getting through those first couple of tackle and getting that confidence that comes with that.
“As I said, I’ve worked hard on my fitness with the rehab conditioners but there is no match for match fitness. People will probably see me breathing quite hard, but I probably won’t be the only one as we’ve got a few guys coming back getting their first start this weekend.”
Like Mumm, young hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is another who can expect to feature against the Cherry & Whites having also recovered from a long-term knee injury. The inclusion of both players, together with a number of other experienced stars, mean the Chiefs will be able to parade a powerful looking line-up for their Cup opener.
And the Aussie lock insists producing a big display on home soil is essential as the Chiefs look to defend their title this season.
“It doesn’t seem that long ago that we won the trophy, but it was obviously very good memories for us in achieving that result and getting that first piece of silverware as a club,” continued Mumm. “I think we all have very fond memories of that a, but now is the opportunity to start making new memories as a club and it starts this weekend.”
With a number of new faces added to the ranks by head coach Baxter during the summer, Mumm feels the club have again put together a healthy mix of young and experience to challenge on all front.
“I think every year your squad is different and we’re very keen as a squad to reclaim the title,” said the Auckland-born forward. “The reality, however, is the people within the squad - and there have been a number of changes from last year to this year - and the structure of the team this weekend is very different to the one that was in the final.
“Therefore it’s about us establishing a performance and getting a result on the board first and foremost. Once you’ve got a couple of wins under your belt, that’s when you can start to think about retaining titles and looking at what could be ahead.
“Gloucester, as we know, are a great side and from my point of view they seem to be improving by the week. They’ve had two fantastic European results and they will come here full of confidence. Looking at them this week, I think you are starting to see the benefits of a new coaching structure coming through in terms of the way they play.
“I’ve worked with Laurie Fisher a number of times and he’s an excellent coach - and you can start to see a number of things rubbing off in the way they play. For sure it will be a very big challenge for us, but it’s one that myself and all the players are looking forward to.”
Whilst Mumm might head up the Exeter ranks in terms of experience, there will be others within the Chiefs squad who have not tasted as much top class action as their inspirational leader. That said, Exeter have used the LV= Cup in the past as a breeding ground for some of their exciting young talent to flourish.
This year is likely to be no exception and Mumm acknowledges the importance of the competition. He said: “Just look at the guys that are doing well across the board, particularly in terms of the Chiefs. Sladey, Nowellsy, Dicky, Hilly and Dave Ewers, they have all come through the LV system for a lack of better words.
“They all had that exposure to the LV as a starting point to their senior careers. I think personally it’s an excellent stepping stone for players and one that we must make the most of. For example, Nowellsy was LV player of the year two years ago, then last year he was a starting Test winger, so that’s how quick things can happen.
“As I said, games like this weekend are a wonderful opportunity for the young guys to go out and demonstrate what they can do on the bigger stage.”
