Mumm named on bench for Baa-Baas

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs forward Dean Mumm has been named on the bench for the Barbarians ahead of this Sunday's clash with England at Twickenham.

The Australian international is one of a number of high-profile stars that have been selected by the world famous representative side to tackle England and then the British & Irish Lions in Hong Kong on June 1.

The 29-year-old, who signed for the Chiefs last summer from Super 15 outfit Waratahs, has proved an instant hit during his first season in English rugby and his call-up to the Baa-Baas squad has been hailed by Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter.

However, Baxter and club-mates Tom Johnson and Haydn Thomas (pictured right) - all of whom are involved in the England camp - will this weekend be looking to plot the downfall of their colleague.



Scrum-half Thomas has been called into Stuart Lancaster's England squad for this weekend's fixture as fellow No.9 Lee Dickson will be featuring for Northampton Saints in Saturday's Aviva Premiership final against Leicester Tigers.

It's a promotion which, according to Baxter, the Exeter man fully deserves after yet another consistent campaign in the top flight.

"Haydn thoroughly deserves any England recognition," said Baxter. "There have been plenty of weeks in the Premiership when a lot of people would have said he was the stand-out performer at scrum-half. I know there are some other scrum-halves not available, but sometimes that's how your opportunities come around.

"I'd like to see him be himself, play with a high-tempo and making attacking decisions for England as he does for us. That's what I think is important for him – to play his game within the framework that England want because he can be a real threat around the fringes. He can't go and try to drop into someone else's game, he's got to do what he does and do it well and be comfortable within a new group of players."

Thomas is not the only Chiefs player set to feature for the Red Rose country as flanker Johnson (pictured below) is also in England's squad to face the Barbarians as well as next month's two-Test tour of Argentina, plus a match in Uruguay.

Johnson has not played competitively since injuring a knee ligament during Exeter's Heineken Cup clash at home to Leinster in January and Baxter hopes he will show the benefits of that enforced break over the coming month.

"We were playing well and going for something and had to keep winning so TJ did not get the opportunities he would have wanted," added the Exeter leader. "TJ being what he is, a good guy and a good character, just got on with it. If you watched him in the time he was fit but not back in the first team, he did what he always does – he was a fantastic example to everybody, got on with coaching the children, being one of the top trainers around the side and helping the first team prepare.

"Everything he has done in this period while he's been injured has been fantastic, he's worked extremely hard on his rehab and getting himself ready to play. One thing I don't have any worries about is that he'll be in great nick in Argentina. If anything, he might have had a nice freshen up over this period while he's been injured that down the line we all benefit from – England and Exeter.

"There are a few other guys in the (England) squad who've had tough Premiership seasons. Their challenge is that good players can perform now, after a tough season. It's slightly different for TJ, his challenge is to go out there and be the fresh, energetic guy and show all that in the way he plays."

Barbarians: Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro 92, Italy), Matthew Rees (Scarlets, Wales), James Johnston (Harlequins, Samoa), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester, Scotland), Marco Wentzel (London Wasps, South Africa), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso, Italy), Jonathan Poff (London Wasps, New Zealand), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz, France), Elliot Daly (London Wasps), Timoci Nagusa (Montpellier, Fiji), Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz, United States), Casey Laulala (Munster, New Zealand), Mike Tindall (Gloucester, England), James Hook (Perpignan, Wales), Dwayne Peel (Sale, Wales).

Replacements: Schalk Brits (Saracens, South Africa), Dean Mumm (Exeter, Australia), Duncan Jones (Ospreys, Wales), Sam Jones (London Wasps), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz, France), Nick Evans (Harlequins, New Zealand), Rowan Varty (DeA Tigers, Hong Kong).