Nothing more succinctly sums up the state of the professional game than Henry Slade’s belief that he is relatively small for a centre. Exeter’s England international is 6ft 4in and weighs more than 15st, taller and heavier than most second rows not long before the 25-year-old was born, but not sufficiently bulky to be tasked with battering his way into traffic and over the gainline.
Slade is a playmaker – not quite a species on the brink of extinction, but an increasing rarity in a period of the game when collisions predominate. Exeter’s Champions Cup match at Munster last weekend was an example of how an attempt to wear down opponents now goes on for 80 minutes. There was no let-up from either side with the commitment of the players absolute; it cried out for the craft of a player such as Slade but the three-quarters were largely peripheral despite the sustained pace of the game.
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The match in Dublin on Saturday between the two countries who have won the Six Nations since the last World Cup, Ireland last year and England in the two before that, promises to be just as full-blooded and uncompromising. England lacked ball-carriers on their last visit to the Aviva Stadium in March 2017: Billy Vunipola was making his first start of the Six Nations campaign and lacked his usual thrust, his brother Mako was on the bench and the back division then was made up of quick and elusive players.
Eddie Jones took the power route in November, Ben Te’o and Joe Cokanasiga starting with Manu Tuilagi on the bench against Australia. With Owen Farrell starting at outside-half instead of George Ford, Slade became the second playmaker at 13, a position he has settled in after starting his senior career at outside-half before being used at 12 and at full-back.
“My game is putting others into space,” he says. “I would not say I am small, but I am not like a typical big ball-carrier. I am an extra playmaker and communicator for the side so that we take opportunities when they come.”
Slade was first capped by England before the 2015 World Cup, partnering Sam Burgess in the midfield against France at Twickenham. He was chosen in the squad for the tournament but played only in the match against Uruguay at the end of the group stage when England had no hope of making the knockout stage, again at 13. He missed Jones’s first Six Nations campaign because of injury and has tasted only five minutes of action in the championship, against Italy as a replacement in 2017, but he went to Portugal last week to prepare for the encounter against Ireland having started six of England’s last seven internationals.
“Last year was a really good one for me with England and Exeter,” says Slade. “It was disappointing not to win the Premiership again and we are doing everything this season to put ourselves in a position to give it another shot. I was pleased to get the amount of game time that I had with England and I am trying to do enough to make sure I keep the shirt.
“I feel that 13 is my position now, although I am happy to play anywhere. It does not really matter what number you have on your back, even in defence at set pieces because you can set up with 13 defending at 12. When it comes to phase play, most teams have players across the pitch who can handle and the attacking shape is pretty fluid so your number does not have too much bearing.”
England started last year’s Six Nations with a comfortable victory over Italy in Rome and held on to overcome Wales at Twickenham before the chariot became stuck in reverse. A first defeat to Scotland for 10 years was followed by a loss against France in Paris before Ireland came to Twickenham and clinched the grand slam. It was England’s first home defeat in the championship since 2012 and they lost the first two Tests in South Africa the following June.
“Sport is not all smooth sailing,” says Slade. “We had a good run a while ago and last year we suffered a bit of a dip. That is when you learn a lot about yourselves: we took some criticism and that gives you the kick up the arse that you need because it is in adversity that you find your true character and become fired by the desire to do better. We finished the South Africa series with a victory and had some good performances and results in the autumn. I think we are in a really good space going into the Six Nations and as a squad we are confident.”
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Jones has changed his approach to this year’s Six Nations after their worst campaign since 2006. His squad for the eight days in Portugal was made up entirely of players he believed would be fit for selection against Ireland. That initially meant there was no place for the player who Slade replaced in the side in South Africa, Jonathan Joseph, who made his first appearance of the season for Bath at Toulouse last weekend. After playing for 52 minutes and suffering no ill-effects, Joseph was called up, but having made just one appearance since the middle of last April he would appear to be more in line for a place on the bench than a starting position.
“I am in possession of the jersey but there is a lot of competition and players are putting their hands up,” says Slade. “I was pleased with how it went in November, when in our only defeat we pushed New Zealand all the way and had a late try disallowed, and am looking forward, if selected, to helping us build on that. Eddie keeps in touch, texting after games to say how he thinks things have gone and in this environment you can never stand still.
“We intend to use the Six Nations to keep building and make sure that we are in the best place possible when the World Cup kicks off. We have the toughest of starts in the Six Nations away to Ireland. They will be the favourites after all they have achieved, but it is an exciting prospect for us to go there and try and do a job on them in their own backyard. We will be ready.”