Spring tour: Few had faith in Wallabies after start to year

When Australia lost their first five games this year, few thought they could go close to securing a Grand Slam.

Nick Phipps, left, and Dean Mumm train in Dublin yesterday.

When Australia lost their first five games this year, few would have believed they would be two wins away from claiming a historic Grand Slam just five months later.

But Wallabies backrower Dean Mumm says the 3-0 series defeat on home soil to England followed by back-to-back hammerings by the All Blacks steeled the side for the success they have had in recent Tests.

Last year’s World Cup finalists plunged to low depths from June to August but the season will be hailed a great success if they pull off their first Grand Slam in 32 years by defeating Ireland and Eng­land in the next eight days.

“It’s very different to a World Cup year for two reasons. I think it’s a longer year but last year was obviously very much about starting with momentum and building all the way through,” Mumm said.

“To lose three matches on the trot to start with, to then lose another three or four during the Rugby Championship — you have real periods of lack of momentum where you’ve had to restart again rather than riding on what you’d done previously.

“It’s definitely been much more of a challenge to have to reignite. There’ve been some hard minutes but from hard times you get resilience. That’s what we’ve been fighting to get and it’s getting better.

“I won’t say we’re entirely there where we want to be yet, but we’ve been training very hard and that’s what counts when you’re having tough times.”

Australia confront an Ireland side who have beaten the All Blacks and Springboks this year.

In the past seven encounters between the Wallabies and Ireland, Australia have won three, lost three and drawn one.

Recalled lock Rob Simmons has been challenged by coach ­Michael Cheika to fulfil his potential, and will shoulder the enormous task of outpointing Ireland’s dangerous lineout to keep Australia’s Grand Slam bid alive.

Simmons retained his spot in Cheika’s starting side to face Ireland at Lansdowne Road in Dublin on Sunday morning (AEDT) as the coach stuck largely to the same first-choice line-up that pipped Scotland a fortnight ago.

This is the side Cheika hopes will end the wait for a sweep of the British and Irish teams.

The imposing figure of Ireland’s 210cm lineout wizard Devin Toner, chief architect of the stunning upset of the All Blacks three weeks ago, was enough to convince Cheika to bolster his jumping options by adding Mumm in the only tactical change from the Scotland match.

Mumm has been named at openside flanker while champion ball-fetcher David Pocock reverts to No 8 and Lopeti Timani drops back to a nine-man bench.

Mumm is acutely aware of the threat posed by the Irish lineout.

“It’s a tremendous lineout. It’s also a springboard for the way they want to play. A lot of their attack and structures are based on a very successful lineout,” Mumm said.

“It is one of the best lineouts in world rugby. It’s a massive challenge for us as a lineout.”

The home side sprang one surprise by naming the 116kg Iain Henderson alongside Toner, in place of the veteran Donnacha Ryan, in a move Mumm expects will dictate a physical style.

“Henderson is a tremendous player. He had a terrific World Cup,” Mumm said. “There’s a physicality they want to bring to the game because that’s certainly something he can bring.”

Cheika has recalled his settled front row of Scott Sio, captain Stephen Moore and Sekope Kepu, following a difficult night of scrum collapses against France for Australia’s back-up crew in midweek.

Penalties and turnovers at the scrum cost the Australian team dearly, and led Cheika to suggest his team wasn’t being rewarded for their honest approach at scrum time.

He says they will continue to scrum straight, but he has one definite piece of advice for his pack to avoid giving away penalties.

“No matter what the situation is, stay up,” Cheika said.

“That way it makes it easier for the ref — there’s usually no penalties at that point.”

Additional reporting: AAP