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The last two weeks have said everything about the importance of Henry Slade to this England team. After undergoing shoulder surgery this summer following the tour of New Zealand, the Exeter center was in a race against time to be available for another meeting with the All Blacks at the start of the Autumn Nations Series. Time was running out – any mishap in his recovery would have left him unavailable.
But England were prepared to do everything they could to ensure he was fit and ready. Last Wednesday night, while the rest of the squad spent an evening watching Barcelona beat Bayern Munich, Slade returned to Exeter in order to be ready to play Harlequins on Sunday.
The 54 minutes he played at Sandy Park were his first of the season and considered vital in ensuring he is ready to face New Zealand this weekend. With no specialist central cover on a bench that features six attackers, it’s clear England have faith in him.
“[Exeter coach] Rob Baxter and I spoke about Henry’s intention to leave the England camp and return to Exeter,” explained Borthwick of a decision that worked out for all parties. “I talked to Rob about the right thing to do. Sladey said he wanted to get on the pitch and play for his club. I supported this decision. Like I said, he’s an experienced player and he knows what he needs. I support this.
“When you had his shoulder surgery, he was able to run upright [quickly]. He’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him. It is in fantastic condition. He feels in great shape. He is an energetic player full of energy. He will be fine on Saturday.
It hasn’t been more than a year since Slade failed to make Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad; he is now one of the key figures of the English coach. The 31-year-old has acted as vice-captain at times this year and has been instrumental in adopting a high-speed blitz defensive system, shooting into the 13 channel which is so often a pivot point.
It is a significant career turnaround for a player who, in a different world, could have seen his life at Test level fall apart. Before renewing with Exeter last season, Slade considered a move to France, already made by a number of close Chiefs pals, including Jack Nowell. It would be an understandable decision, especially after the disappointment of not being part of Borthwick’s party in France.
But Slade stayed and regained his place. His importance at club level has been underlined by Exeter’s horror start to the Premiership season in his absence and his influence is only growing with England. For so long a spare wheel for the George Ford/Owen Farrell vehicle, it is now difficult to imagine an England midfielder without Slade. With Ford only on the bench after returning from injury, the outside center is by far England’s most experienced starter.
“Sladey is a really important player for us,” Borthwick said. “He is an experienced Test match player, now more than ever. It is in fantastic condition. He has grown as a leader on this team. We’ve talked a lot about the leadership of this team and he’s grown in a lot of different areas as well.
Slade’s rapid return also shows Borthwick’s predilection for a stable team. There are few changes to the side that ended at Eden Park in England’s last outing, with a fit-again Ellis Genge in the front row and Ben Spencer winning the battle to replace the absent Alex Mitchell. On the open side, Tom Curry is favored over Sam Underhill. Borthwick feels Bath flank lacks sharpness after ankle surgery; On the other hand, Curry is returning to his best after missing most of last season due to a career-threatening hip problem.
Ben, Tom’s twin brother, waits in reserve as one of six attackers on the bench. With Harry Randall and George Ford – specialists at nine and ten respectively – as the only defenders, this leaves England short of outside back options in case of injury. Borthwick suggested the versatility of Tommy Freeman, George Furbank and Marcus Smith ensured adequate options should England need to adapt, while also hinting at a resumption of Ben Earl’s ploy at center seen briefly at the end of the victory against Japan earlier this year.
It’s a gamble, but Borthwick is willing to take it. The coach has been keen to explore the six-on-two bench split for some time, having seen how teams like South Africa have used their front bench so effectively. England were frustrated by the way they let winnable matches slip away in each of the New Zealand tour Tests, and will be hoping a beefier bench can help combat the All Blacks’ replacements.
“I think when you play New Zealand, [it’s about] the intensity of the game and the intensity of these exchanges forward,” underlined the head coach. “We know they have a very powerful attacking pack, and they are a team that moves the ball very well.
“The intensity of these futures exchanges is significant. And clearly, reflecting on the last two games played and their ability to win this last quarter, we think that is an element that allows us to get the result that we want.
England face New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (Saturday 2 November, 3:10 p.m. GMT)
Starting XV: 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Jamie George (captain), 3 Will Stuart; 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Martin; 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Ben Earl; 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Marcus Smith; 11 Tommy Freeman, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 13 Henry Slade, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; 15 George Furbank.
Substitutes: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Alex Dombrandt; 22 Harry Randall, 23 George Ford.
