16.06.2008 – Graham Croker
When Dean Mumm ran on to the Telstra Dome in the second half against New Zealand in Melbourne on Saturday night, he became the Sydney University Football Club’s 103rd Australian representative.
The 24-year-old second-rower came off the bench to play a big part of the second half in Australia’s 18-12 win over Ireland.
Mumm earned a Wallaby call-up after a series of outstanding performances for NSW Waratahs in the latter half of the Super 14 competition and in the final against Canterbury Crusaders, who were coached by the new Wallaby mentor, Robbie Deans.
As part of Deans’ 30-man Wallaby squad for the opening three Test matches of the year, Mumm’s chances of earning a cap sky-rocketed when he was chosen on the bench for the opening Test of the season against Ireland.
And there is every chance he will earn more caps with another 13 Tests on the agenda for the Wallabies in 2008, starting with internationals against France in Sydney and Brisbane.
The Wallabies will then play six Tri-Nations matches against South Africa and New Zealand and a one-off Test against the All Blacks in Hong Kong before embarking a spring tour of Europe.
Deans had a first-hand look at the 108cm Mumm in the Crusaders’ 20-12 win over the Waratahs in the Super 14 final in Christchurch before selecting his Wallaby squad. Mumm is equally at home at second-row or on the side of the scrum, where he began his senior career with Sydney University.
Mumm joined Sydney University team-mate Phil Waugh on the Wallaby bench for the Ireland Test. Waugh had a brilliant Super 14 season while captaining the Waratahs.
Meanwhile, SUFC has two players in the 26-man Under-20 Australian team contesting the inaugural IRB Junior World Championship in Wales.
Hooker Nathan Charles and flanker Ben MacCalman are playing in the Under-20 championship, which follows the IRB’s merger of the Under-19 and Under-21 tournaments.
And prop Jerry Yanuyanutawa is awaiting a run on with Australia A in the IRB Pacific Nations Cup. Yanuyanutawa is one of three SUFC players in the 26-man Australia A team, along with five-eighth Daniel Halangahu and second-rower Al Campbell.
