Experience is key for Slade

By Nigel Walrond

Exeter Chiefs fly-half Henry Slade has described spending the past two weeks in the England camp as a “great experience”.

The 21-year-old was one of five Chiefs players named in a large training squad preparing for the summer tour to New Zealand and the match against the Barbarians.

He did not make it onto the plane to New Zealand, with the likes of the much more experienced Owen Farrell, Stephen Myler, Freddie Burns and Danny Cipriani ahead of him in the pecking order.

However, he was selected as vice-captain for the non-capped international against the Barbarians at Twickenham last Sunday, which England lost 39-29, and his picture adorned the front page of the match-day programme, showing he has firmly arrived on the international stage.

Not only that, he scored a try on his senior England debut amongst his 16-point haul, as did Chiefs team-mate Dave Ewers at No.8, while another Sandy Park youngster, Sam Hill, also put in a good shift at centre.

“I was pleased with how my game went individually, and as a team. We showed a lot of composure. There was a massive gulf in experience, but I thought we played well and we were in it for pretty much the whole match,” said Plymouth-born Slade.

“There are always a couple of things you wish you could have done better. You never have a perfect game, but I was pretty happy with my try - my first of the season!

“It was also a massive honour to be vice-captain. I didn’t expect it but it was great to have that recognition.

“It comes as a given as the number ten that you have to take that sort of role most weeks anyway, and I was delighted to be handed that responsibility, and I was pleased with how the boys went.

“We showed desire right from the start with our running rugby, and the result could have gone either way, but that extra bit of experience in the Barbarians team probably told at the end.”

It would have been understandable for the England youngsters to find the prospect of playing a Barbarians squad packed full of star names very daunting, but Slade said: “Looking at their teamsheet during the week, you can see all the stars they have and the number of caps they have got between them, but I think a lot of us have played against a similar calibre of player in the Heineken Cup and the Premiership, and before the match you just remind yourself you have done it before with Exeter and played against teams like Toulon and Clermont.

“It was the first time for a lot of the boys playing at Twickenham, and in front of a big crowd, and I think we all took a lot from it. It was a massive opportunity for us to show what we can do at the end of what has been a great, but long, season. When we got through the phases we caused some damage, so we tried to keep the tempo up, and when we could we tried to play with ball in hand.”

It was a painful final match of the campaign for Slade, who had to go off the field for treatment after getting smashed in the eye while tackling big Kiwi centre Rene Ranger midway through the first half.
He turned up at the after-match press conference sporting a nasty-looking black eye, which needed nine stitches.

“He is a pretty tough bloke and I was just trying to bring him down, and thankfully I managed to do that, but his knee or one of his boots hit me in the eye,” explained Slade. “I do enjoy defence though and it is probably one of my favourite parts of the game.”

It has been an incredible 12 months for Slade, who began it by winning the Junior World Championship with England in France last June. He then became a first-team regular with the Chiefs, either in the starting line-up or on the bench; made his England Saxons debut in January; and was then selected for the England training squad last month.

Explaining his rapid development as a player, Slade said: “In my position as a playmaker, a lot of it is down to getting game time.

“I have had the chance to work with, and learn off, Gareth Steenson at Exeter Chiefs, and Ali Hepher and Ricky Pellow have been helping me there, and Jon Callard has come down and done some kicking sessions as well, and just being able to be involved in the Premiership week in and week out has been massive.”