Henry Slade: Pub, Booze, and Gardening – His Path to 2027 England Return

Everybody deals with ‌bad news in diffrent ways. For Henry Slade, the Exeter and England centre, a spot of half-cut horticulturalism helped cleanse the soul after Steve Borthwick’s brutal 2023 World cup ‌axing led to the toughest time in his professional rugby career.

When he was omitted, Slade⁢ had played 30 of England’s 37 Tests as the 2019 World cup. No Englishman had started more games in the⁢ 13 jersey in that time, so to be excluded from the ⁣33-man group to travel to France⁢ came as a big surprise to almost everyone, ⁤including the man himself.

Related: England Six nations ⁣squad‍ 2026 updates

“I didn’t take it very well, to be honest, at the start,” Slade recalls when he sits down⁢ with Rugby World in the Baxter suite at Sandy Park.

“You know you see films where someone is told bad news and they get this noise in their ears and you can see someone talking, but you ⁢can’t hear what they’re saying?

“As soon as⁤ he said that I wasn’t part of the squad, I​ literally was looking at him, but I couldn’t tell ​you what he‌ said for​ the next four or five minutes. It was gutting.”

Slade’s only real inkling that something was afoot came ⁣late on after he only got a few ⁤minutes off the bench (and Joe Marchant impressed) in England’s warm-up defeat away to Wales the day before Borthwick told‌ his troops who had ​made it.

He adds: “Yeah, ⁣I was‍ a ​bit (blindsided). I was expecting to go;⁢ I was thinking that I had a good chance to go.

“I’ve‍ been involved in quite a few games ‌over the last few years and gone through a couple of World Cups. I’m not saying that gives me the right to⁣ go to another one,but I was feeling like ​I​ had a good chance to go.

“But then‌ in the last few days, you do sort of feel that, ‘Oh, maybe⁣ I’m not, maybe I am’,‍ and it’s just a bit of a

Hugo Keenan ⁢and Henry⁣ Slade in ⁤the 2024 Six Nations (Getty ‌Images)

Once again he finds himself fighting for his place in the team. His only appearance of the recent​ Quilter Nations Series came in the final game​ against⁢ Argentina when injuries ‍led to him winning his 74th cap alongside Bath’s Max Ojomoh⁤ in midfield, securing a 27-23 win.

So‍ how is his relationship with boss Borthwick now? “I feel like I believe what he tells me,” says Slade. “I​ feel like I am a valued member of the squad. Obviously, I ​haven’t had as much game time as I’ve wanted‍ recently, but I still feel like I get on pretty well with him.”

Does Borthwick⁢ make you feel like you’re still a key member of the England squad? ⁣”Yeah, definately,” Slade answers. “The chats​ I’ve had have been very much along those lines.”

Slade ‍uses visualisation to aid ‍his kicking routine (getty‌ Images)

Another tool he ‍has developed is the power of visualisation.⁢ “I feel like you can get⁢ an extra kicking ⁢session in ​without actually kicking a ball, and obviously, you can never miss when you haven’t got a ball, so it’s good for that!

“I’ll come in ⁤on a day off and just put‍ myself in different positions, whether it’s a goal kick or a kick to touch ⁣or something. I just go through my technique and just visualise how ⁣I’m approaching the ball and hitting the ball through the posts, just from ​different positions.

“So when it comes to that in a game,‌ you’ve already done it in your mind. And then ‌the night before a game, ‍I’ll be lying in bed before I go to sleep and sort⁤ of try and visualise it. I think that’s one of ‍the biggest things that’s helped me and⁢ I’ve seen most results from.”

With the 2027⁢ World ‍Cup ⁤draw finalised, attention is slowly turning ⁤towards the global showpiece in Australia. Slade is desperate⁢ to be there – he still has great memories of ‌Japan 2019 despite the pain​ of ‌England falling at the final hurdle.

“World Cups are obviously always huge. To get the prospect to play that would be amazing. I think it would make it even more sweet, considering I missed the last one. It’s a⁢ little way off ⁤yet and there’s a lot of rugby‌ to be​ played. I’m thinking along the lines of when I didn’t get selected for the‌ last one.

“it’s how to put your best foot forward. It’s not about (looking) too far in the future

“The financial‌ security is massive for‍ stability and you can rely on it.Before, the financial ⁢incentives were brilliant but weren’t guaranteed. You ‍could ​pick up a knock, so having that certainty is really ⁤good.”

We meet Slade at Sandy Park ⁢(Richard Butcher/Rugby World/Future)

Whether or not he receives the extra bump next year remains to be seen, but his ‍domestic form⁢ shows no signs of waning. Exeter’s⁣ PREM revival this season has been‌ something to behold after a 2024-25 campaign that is better⁣ forgotten after lacklustre displays led to the departure of defense coach ⁤Omar Mouneimne and​ senior club servants Ali Hepher and‌ Rob Hunter.

By winning four out of their first six⁢ games, Rob Baxter’s Chiefs – who have welcomed Dave Walder and former‌ Saints back James ‌Wilson into ⁢the coaching fold – have already matched ⁢last season’s wins tally in a ‌third of the games.

When ⁣we sit down with Slade, they are second behind only Bath. A first foray back into the play-offs since 2021 is firmly on the agenda.‍ slade even believes the redemption arc after last year’s ninth-place finish would make​ his third PREM title the sweetest yet.

“The hunger⁢ is more than ⁤ever really. If we ⁢were to win a premiership now, it would maybe even feel the best it’s ever felt, just from the journey we’ve been on as a‌ team – from having‍ won it to experiencing heartbreak in finals to where we were last year.

“To be part of a team that gets to the play-offs this year would be huge for the club.⁢ And obviously ⁤when you get to that play-off, all ​you want to do is win the thing.”

Having kids provides a healthy⁢ dose of reality that helps keep rugby-related problems in check. “When you come​ home, they don’t care if you’ve won or lost, or if you’ve had⁤ a good day training or a bad game. They just⁣ want to see you as you’re daddy. You can just switch off entirely ⁣from what’s happened at rugby.”It’s good as if you had a great game, they⁣ bring you straight down t

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