After making two appearances alongside Fraser Dingwall in this Six Nations campaign, Henry Slade departed for England alongside 12 other centres.
This is just one short of Michael Atherton’s tally for opening partners during his England Test cricket career, which spanned 14 years and 115 matches. The dogged and stoic Lancashire right-hand man had a reputation for enduring turbulence.
Slade, still 30, will hit 60 home runs this weekend; Just over half of Atherton’s cricket haul. The fact that Slade has been paired with so many fellow midfielders since his debut in 2015, from Sam Burgess to Ben Te’o to Piers Francis and Dan Kelly, highlights the relentless turbulence in those positions.
Dingwall is a classy player but the return of Ollie Lawrence provides impetus and stabilizes the backline. This will be his eighth start in combination with Slade, who has never looked indispensable to England coaches. But this weekend is hugely important because of its crucial role in the decisive attempt to subdue Finn Russell.
In a wicked irony, Slade would not have been so qualified to lead the blitz defense had it not been for the bitter disappointment of missing out on the World Cup last year. He returned to Exeter Chiefs when Steve Borthwick overlooked him and selected Joe Marchant instead. There Omar Mouneimne was implementing a new approach in pre-season. Mouneimne, like recently appointed England defense coach Felix Jones, is a former colleague of Jacques Nienaber and wanted Exeter to be so aggressive that their upcoming opponents would have to compromise on their preparations.
“I coached with Jacques Nienaber at the Stormers in 2007, it was moderate pressure and excellent tackle,” he explains enthusiastically. “Times have changed because the attack has changed. A golden age for attack. Attacks have never been this organized; ball in both hands, quick execution, shaping on the line, running outs, detailed strike movements on the opposition 22. If you allow teams to get a rhythm on you, they can receive and defend the ball at lightning speed. It’s alive and terrorizing you.
“We are increasing our line speed [at Exeter] for a while and most of it was just asking [opponents] We will reevaluate their week because we have done so much homework on their attacks. Every attack has a rhythm, and whether it’s aiming at things or playing wide and fast, there’s something they covet the most. We want to get what they desire most. And what you’re taking away is not just speed and time, but at one stage you’re cutting out option after option, leaving them rethinking the whole time.”
Confusing the senses is the main purpose of the attack. And to state the obvious, you should be running a lot. Slade, a lithe athlete who accelerates in the 13th, has three interceptions this season. One of them was a thrilling victory over Munster in the Champions Cup at Sandy Park. These high-speed serves can also lead to struggles behind the gain line, as when Slade dominated Nick Tompkins in the final minutes of England’s win over Wales. Even if carriers are routed through heavy traffic around the ridge piles, this graft is worth the effort.
“You need to be very fit,” Mouneimne adds. “Your pace and work rate off the ball needs to be phenomenal because you need to be ahead of the attack. If you don’t reload and reform before you attack, you can’t close them down. “We’ve worked hard on that and all the practice around getting up, getting back, getting up, getting back.
“Henry is the perfect man for this job because he is very meticulous and therefore knows what the opposition will bring. He knows our form very well and is physically perfect for it. You want to work hard in several phases to get the ball back faster. You attack, you read the play and you move forward.
“He made these interventions thanks to his precautionary measures. He does his homework tactically and knows what’s going to happen. “Technically, his movements are very sound.”
The UK also needs to stay connected. If individuals shoot on their own, Russell will dig holes. He did so in 2018 when Jonathan Joseph pressed ahead of Jonny May and in 2023 when Owen Farrell went after him. Huw Jones was the beneficiary of both incidents, breaking through the defensive line and into open space. The visitors will also need to re-adjust from time to time as Russell is sure to annoy them with his arsenal of chips and kicks.
Slade has been praised by both Richard Wigglesworth and Kevin Sinfield as a problem solver who takes advantage of his familiarity with the blitz system to help his teammates, perhaps citing unnatural situations. His expertise and intuition will support Felix Jones’ strategy.
“It will be a blockbuster because Scotland is a good team with cohesion, cohesion and good culture,” Mounienme continues. “Gregor has done a good job with them and they have a lot of X-factor players.
“Obviously we played Bath and previewed Finn; We will play with them again in the Champions Cup. It will be exciting to see England try to halve their game plan and eliminate their options because he is a visionary. He can pass the ball, play in the backfield, hit the front line and attack. “It will keep England busy and it will be a fascinating war.”
Although this week’s narrative revolves around how Scotland can be subdued, England will also need to spend time in possession. We expect Slade and Lawrence to alternate in attack and make their side significantly sharper in early phase situations.
Early on against Wales, after a five-metre scrum, Alex Mitchell raced to the line with three straight options: Elliot Daly, Dingwall and Slade. The lack of feint allowed the defense to assemble tightly. Slade missed the pass but would still be tackled by George North. He is not a battering ram:
In a different setup, Slade stepped in to distribute from the first buyer; Dingwall cut a close angle and George Ford drifted behind with blind wing:
Tommy Freeman is finally released here in Rome:
A week later, the same move earned Mason Grady a yellow card for intentional tackle:
But he will be stronger with Lawrence’s more explosive, front-door threat. Even the most complex attacks need momentum. Both Tommaso Menoncello and George North put England past them with simple, direct running.
Slade could make room for Lawrence to trouble Scotland. In that regard, he will be one of Steve Borthwick’s most influential men at both ends this weekend.