Slade reports for England training with ringing endorsement from club head coach

25 September 2017 04:54

Exeter centre Henry Slade has reported for England training squad duty accompanied by a ringing endorsement from his club head coach.

Slade left his mark all over Wasps, creating two tries as Aviva Premiership leaders Exeter triumphed 31-17 at Sandy Park.

And if he maintains impressive current form, then England head coach Eddie Jones might find it difficult to leave him out of the autumn series opener against Argentina on November 11.

Seven-times capped Slade, who joined up with the England squad in Oxford on Sunday night, was at the heart of Exeter's bonus-point victory - the Chiefs' third in succession - and Ali Hepher praised an outstanding display.

"Sladey has been playing very well all season," Hepher said. "He is an incredibly driven bloke, a highly-motivated lad.

"The pace he is taking the ball at now is really helping him, and he has got the ability on the ball. I am really chuffed with how he is going.

"He is defending as well as any centre in the Premiership, and he is starting to round off into a really top quality player.

"All he can do is to keep performing the way he is doing."

Wing Olly Woodburn scored two tries, while flankers Dave Dennis and Don Armand also touched down during a dominant first-half display by Exeter.

Replacement hooker Shaun Malton added a second-half try, with skipper Gareth Steenson kicking three conversions as the Chiefs moved two points clear of Saracens and Newcastle.

Flanker Ashley Johnson and wing Josh Bassett scored tries for Wasps, with Jimmy Gopperth adding two conversions and a penalty, but they never seriously troubled an Exeter side looking like major title contenders once again.

Wasps rugby director Dai Young said: "It (Sandy Park) is always a tough place to come, but if you give any team 60 per cent possession and 60 per cent territory, let alone the champions, it is going to be a hard day at the office.

"They had far too much ball in the wrong areas of the field for us. You have got to give them some credit for that, but we kept on giving them the ball back.

"If you give them that many opportunities to run at you, the dam is going to bust at some point.

"I am disappointed that we are not really firing any shots of our own. I thought there was more bite about everything we did, but we just lack composure, patience and accuracy."

Source: PA