It is barely a year since Henry Slade found himself listed at 13 on Exeter’s teamsheet for a pre-season game and assumed it was a typo.
Suddenly he is about to fill the same position for England and play a union Test at centre alongside the former league colossus Sam Burgess. To ask for more, at the age of 22, might strike some as slightly greedy.
For Slade, though, this is only the start. He may have dreamed about representing England since the age of 10 but there is a home World Cup looming and this is no time to settle for an understudy role. If the talented Devonian can outshine Burgess in England’s midfield – while putting the team first in the process – he will give the team management a significant headache.
It is increasingly clear that England would dearly love to pick Burgess in their 31-man squad, despite the fact his CV as a union centre remains some way short of conclusive. So what will happen should the languid Slade play with instant class and poise against France on Saturday while his new partner endures a mediocre evening? Stuart Lancaster has already made clear he does not envisage finding places for both of them.
How awkward for Slade, then, to have to sit and answer questions about Burgess’s strengths on the eve of the most eagerly-awaited weekend of his life. Or maybe not. On and off the field the young Chief rarely puts a cultured foot wrong. “If you are struggling to get over the gainline, then all you have to do is give it to Sam and he will get you that momentum back. He is a big weapon to be able to use. He also has a lot of experience in league and played in a very successful side. He has got that experience of being a winner.”
Given the circumstances it was an extremely generous tribute, not least because Burgess does not possess the kind of passing range, spatial awareness, fleetness of foot or kicking skills that Slade can offer. Exeter’s backs coach Ali Hepher is among those who believe it is far from a one-sided contest: “If Henry can put in a star performance then I am sure it would be very hard to ignore him.”
Ultimately it will depend upon the overall blend England are seeking but it would be no surprise if Slade further prolongs the debate.
When the pair played together for England Saxons in Cork back in January it was Slade who won the man of the match award. Since then Burgess has been mostly used by Bath as a flanker.
If you had to bet now on which of the two will eventually earn the more union caps, the smart money would be on the former Plymouth College schoolboy, who has already won a Junior World Cup as the England U20’s fly-half. Back in 2003 he remembers watching Jonny Wilkinson’s coup de grace in Sydney on television at his local club Ivybridge. “I was sitting under a table and when he kicked the drop-goal I jumped up and smashed my head.”
These days Wilkinson is helping him with his kicking out on the training field at Bagshot. “The other day he was in, giving us pointers. He’s still got it!”
Slade, who suffers from type one diabetes and requires daily injections to manage the condition, has also got over the sense of awe he felt when he was tossed into the fray at short notice against Toulon two seasons ago. “I found myself stood there opposite Wilkinson, Giteau, Habana, Bastareaud, Armitage and Drew Mitchell. I thought: ‘These are some of the best names in the world.’ That gave myself and the other boys the confidence that we could mix it with that lot.”
A notable defensive display against Leicester’s Manu Tuilagi at Sandy Park last season has also helped persuade him he can cope with both the extra physicality of international rugby and the occasion. “I’ve imagined it so many times but you can never quite anticipate what it’s going to be like. Now it’s happening I have to remember at the back of my mind that there is a spot up for grabs. To be honest as long as I’m on the pitch and can get my hands on the ball I don’t really care what position I’m playing.” Win or lose against France, Burgess has a genuine challenger.
