A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Exeter’s Slade steals the show
WHEN Henry Slade is this confident, it is a wonder he has just seven England caps. The Exeter Chiefs centre may not have scored a point as the champions beat last year’s runners-up at Sandy Park, but his fingerprints were all over this win.
Prodigiously talented but often a player who drifts in and out of form, Slade outshone his rival for England’s No 13 shirt, Elliot Daly, in Devon.
Slade (below) ran for 72 metres in 12 carries, beat seven defenders, made six crunching tackles, had a hand in two tries and kicked well from his mighty left peg — it was a display as dazzling as his unmissable bright-orange boots. He was rightly saluted by the crowd as he departed with two minutes left.
And head coach Ali Hepher said that behind Slade’s languid exterior is a highly-motivated man. ‘People see the skills and the time he has on the ball but often don’t associate that with his drive and belief,’ he said. ‘He is defending as well as any centre in the Premiership and rounding off into a top-quality player.’
With the win the Chiefs stormed back to the top of the Premiership table. Olly Woodburn scored twice, with Dave Dennis and Don Armand making sure Exeter had a bonus point before half- time. Shaun Malton added another and Gareth Steenson missed two conversions but took the rest from the boot.
Ashley Johnson and Josh Bassett scored for Wasps but they were dominated. Jimmy Gopperth kicked both conversions and a penalty, missing one. Wasps’ director of rugby Dai Young bemoaned their profligacy. ‘We lacked composure, patience and accuracy,’ he said. An average of 54 points have been shared in the last four meetings between last year’s finalists and the first half continued in that tryscoring vein with five scored in 40 minutes. First Woodburn crossed on the left, ending an incredible 31-phase Exeter assault on the Wasps line. But Steenson missed the wide kick and soon Wasps led through Johnson’s 25-metre dash and Gopperth’s boot.
Exeter came back. Dummy runners behind a rolling maul had Wasps at sixes and sevens and Chiefs’ six Dennis sprinted away. Steenson missed the conversion.
Armand was next to cross. Slade fizzed a pass to him on the blindside and the flanker bashed his way through Bassett to touch down by the yellow flag. This time Steenson did convert.
Before that there was a sickening moment. Attempting to fell Nathan Hughes, 22-year-old Chiefs No 8 Sam Simmonds found his head on the wrong side and took a knee to the face. To his immense credit Hughes, sensing trouble, held his opposite number as he lay on the ground until medics arrived. Simmonds went off on a stretcher while receiving gas and air.
Two minutes before the interval Woodburn had his second try and the bonus-point score, Slade flicking him a lovely assist. Steenson converted.
It took until the hour for the next try, Exeter replacement hooker Malton diving over. With Steenson’s third conversion the game was won but Wasps scored a consolation at least.