All the Exeter Chiefs player wants for Christmas is to continue his fine form and put himself in contention for the England squad
Henry Slade is sitting in reception at Sandy Park wearing a Christmas jumper with a fire-breathing dinosaur on the front. The Exeter’s squad’s festive meal is about to start and the mood is suitably convivial. The Chiefs have had a clutch of extraordinary last-gasp wins in recent weeks, all of them wrapped up by their talismanic centre. Devon’s local superhero can currently wear whatever seasonal cape he fancies.
His midwinter success is all the sweeter because of the crushing disappointment he suffered in August. Having been a midfield regular for England all year, the elegant Slade was unceremoniously dropped from the World Cup squad just prior to the tournament. Even now he has not entirely come to terms with it. “I don’t think I’m over it yet. It’ll be one of those things you never get over. To only have 10 minutes against Wales and be dropped the next day was frustrating. You work so hard throughout your career and I felt I was in my prime going into it. To not go was gutting and really disappointing.”