Share

'Mummy' to captain Wallabies

Bath - Dean Mumm will captain an Australia side to face minnows Uruguay in their second Pool A match on Sunday sporting 14 changes from the starting XV for the opening win against Fiji.

The 31-year-old lock - known as 'Mummy' to his team-mates - had to rush to London shortly after the announcement for the birth of his second child, a son.

"He's going to start learning about the 'benefits' of no sleep, isn't he, because he will be playing off the back of no sleep," said Australia coach Michael Cheika.

"But I'm sure he's got a lot of good feelings at the moment and I'm sure that good feeling will flow through for the rest of his life.

"In the short term, also, I'm sure it will be very good for him."

Cheika has packed the side with experience despite the massive revamp as he seeks to give the whole 31-man squad a run out before crucial games against Wales and England.

Cheika has had the perfect opportunity to work out his first choice XV for those games with the 28-13 win over Fiji last Wednesday and now Uruguay.

"We really want the entire squad to get a touch of the ball early at this Rugby World Cup and get everyone into match mode," said Cheika.

"We will need all 31 players ready for action throughout the tournament and this is the first chance to do that for many of this team.

"We've had a solid preparation for this match considering that we've had to play two games in five days and we're very happy with where the players are at.

"It's important we continue to improve each day as a collective," added Cheika, who has turned the Wallabies fortunes round since assuming control last October culminating in a terrific win over the All Blacks to win the Rugby Championship in August.

Among those to get a start is wing Drew Mitchell, who will win his 66th cap, along with Toulon teammate Matt Giteau a beneficiary of Australia's decision to let in talent playing abroad.

Mumm, whose decision to return to Australia from England this year paid off with his selection for the World Cup, replaces hooker Stephen Moore as skipper. Moore will be on the bench and in line to come on for his 98th appearance.

"It's an incredible honour to lead this group of players," said Mumm, who leads a side with a total of over 800 caps.

"Stephen Moore, Michael Hooper and Adam Ashley-Cooper have done an outstanding job as a leadership team this season and I'm extremely grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to what they've created and lead the team on Sunday," added Mumm, who made his debut back in 2008.

"This is a really important match in our campaign and four players are getting the opportunity to play in their first Rugby World Cup match, so it is a significant occasion for those players and a chance for us to build on the performance against Fiji."

Teams:

Australia: 

15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Joe Tomane, 13 Henry Speight, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Sean McMahon, 6 Ben McCalman, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Dean Mumm (c), 3 Toby Smith, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Scott Sio

Substitutes: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Kane Douglas, 20 Rob Simmons, 21 Will Genia, 22 Bernard Foley, 23 Tevita Kuridrani

Uruguay:

15 Gaston Mieres, 14 Leandro Leivas, 13 Joaquin Prada, 12 Andres Vilaseca, 11 Rodrigo Silva, 10 Felipe Berchesi, 9 Agustin Ormaechea, 8 Juan Manuel Gaminara, 7 Matias Beer, 6 Juan De Freitas, 5 Franco Lamanna, 4 Santiago Vilaseca (captain), 3 Mario Sagario, 2 German Kessler, 1 Mateo Sanguinetti

Substitutes: 16 Nicolas Klappenbach, 17 Oscar Duran, 18 Carlos Arboleya, 19 Alejandro Nieto, 20 Diego Magno, 21 Fernando Bascou, 22 Alejo Duran, 23 Alberto Roman

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1777 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE