How a pub session and boozed-up gardening helped Henry Slade get over his World Cup axing and why he’s determined to make it with England in 2027

Josh Graham

Exeter Chiefs and England stalwart Henry Slade says he feels better than ever ahead of the 2026 Six Nations

Everybody deals with bad news in different ways. For Henry Slade, the Exeter and England centre, a spot of half-cut horticulturalism helped cleanse the soul after Steve Borthwick’s brutal 2023 World Cup axing led to the toughest time in his professional rugby career.

When he was omitted, Slade had played 30 of England’s 37 Tests since the 2019 World Cup. No Englishman had started more games in the 13 jersey in that time, so to be excluded from the 33-man group to travel to France came as a big surprise to almost everyone, including the man himself.

Related: England Six Nations squad 2026 updates

“I didn’t take it very well, to be honest, at the start,” Slade recalls when he sits down with Rugby World in the Baxter suite at Sandy Park.

“You know you see films where someone is told bad news and they get this noise in their ears and you can see someone talking, but you can’t hear what they’re saying?

“As soon as he said that I wasn’t part of the squad, I literally was looking at him, but I couldn’t tell you what he said for the next four or five minutes. It was gutting.”

Slade’s only real inkling that something was afoot came late on after he only got a few minutes off the bench (and Joe Marchant impressed) in England’s warm-up defeat away to Wales the day before Borthwick told his troops who had made it.

He adds: “Yeah, I was a bit (blindsided). I was expecting to go; I was thinking that I had a good chance to go.

“I’ve been involved in quite a few games over the last few years and gone through a couple of World Cups. I’m not saying that gives me the right to go to another one, but I was feeling like I had a good chance to go.

“But then in the last few days, you do sort of feel that, ‘Oh, maybe I’m not, maybe I am’, and it’s just a bit of a worry. Then when he said that to me, it was very, very frustrating. You get all the emotions: angry, frustrated and disappointed.”

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While it’s still a sore subject, Slade is proud of how he channelled his disappointment down the line. But in the immediate aftermath, he needed to clear his head and allowed himself a day to drown his sorrows, which culminated in a spot of boozed-up gardening.

“I felt quite proud of how I dealt with it. I played Wales away on the Saturday. Then about 7.30 or 8am the next morning, I got a message to go and see Steve… I got my stuff packed up, got a taxi all the way home from Cardiff to Exeter and I went straight to the pub.

“I told my missus, ‘I’m not going to the World Cup but I’ve got to go to the pub. I need some space.’ So I went.

“I went to The Imperial (Wetherspoons) in Exeter with my brother, who was living with me at the time. Ollie Devoto joined me too. I just gave myself that day to process it and get over it really.

“I went home later that evening, did a bit of gardening. I enjoy my gardening; I trimmed the hedges. It wasn’t the straightest bush when I woke up the next morning! But I just had to do it.

“When I woke up the next day, I said, ‘Right, I’m going to prove him wrong. I’m going to get myself back in the team whenever I can, and I’m going to play as well as I can for Exeter’.”

Dropping Henry Slade

Henry Slade consoles Joe Marchant after Welsh loss (Getty Images)

For Slade it was a case of going back to basics and focusing on what had earned him over 50 England caps already by that stage.

“I went back to just focusing on day-to-day, training every day to get better and better, every game I play, trying to do as well as I possibly can.”

Read more: What else is in this month’s issue of Rugby World with Henry Slade?

It certainly worked. Slade had a renewed lease of life at Exeter as one of the few senior players still left at Sandy Park. With his great mates Luke Cowan-Dickie and Jack Nowell leaving for pastures new, he helped haul a youthful outfit to within a whisker of a semi-final spot and bagged the Premiership’s Player of the Year.

With Marchant staying in France after the World Cup to play for Stade Français, a move he ironically agreed to when he was out of the picture under Eddie Jones, Slade started all England’s 2024 Six Nations matches.

He was vindicated but the scar remains. “It will always be frustrating. I’ll never not be frustrated by it, even when I’m 70 years old. But I guess you can’t dwell on the past; you can use it in the right way. I feel that’s what I did to get myself back into the team, however I could.”

Ireland v England tickets

Hugo Keenan and Henry Slade in the 2024 Six Nations (Getty Images)

Once again he finds himself fighting for his place in the team. His only appearance of the recent Quilter Nations Series came in the final game against Argentina when injuries led to him winning his 74th cap alongside Bath’s Max Ojomoh in midfield, securing a 27-23 win.

So how is his relationship with boss Borthwick now? “I feel like I believe what he tells me,” says Slade. “I feel like I am a valued member of the squad. Obviously, I haven’t had as much game time as I’ve wanted recently, but I still feel like I get on pretty well with him.”

Does Borthwick make you feel like you’re still a key member of the England squad? “Yeah, definitely,” Slade answers. “The chats I’ve had have been very much along those lines.”

Henry Slade

Henry Slade celebrates scoring against Argentina in his only England appearance of the 2025 autumn (Getty Images)

Ollie Lawrence, Slade’s most consistent England centre partner with 20 starts together, Northampton’s Fraser Dingwall, Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson and Ojomoh are all in the picture while Marchant will return to these shores with Sale next season and wings Tommy Freeman and Elliot Daly can be used at 13.

So there is no shortage of competition for places. “I’ve played with Fraser a few times and Ollie a lot now,” adds Slade. “It’s cool to be able to see how other players play, what sort of things they look for. You can pick things up for your own game.

“I think as a centre group, we’re quite good. Although there are four or five centres in the squad, and only two play, we still have good competition in training. We have little catch-ups post-training.

I feel like we’re pretty good as a group in terms of challenging each other in the right way and trying to bring the best out of each other.”

We surprise our interviewee with a Rugby World cover from over a decade ago when we heralded a fresh-faced Slade, pictured in the 2015 World Cup kit, as ‘the future’.

And while that may feel like an awfully long time ago, he’s determined not to now be shifted into ‘the past’, even if he has surreptitiously become one of the more veteran campaigners.

Although he is at pains to point out that he is not quite the oldest. “I don’t feel 32 but gradually, before you know it, you look around and all the older boys are gone. And it’s like, ‘Yeah, I am one of the older boys.’ But I’m not actually the oldest. (George) Fordy is three days older than me, Ben Spencer is older, Jamie George… So there are still a couple of boys.

“Naturally as you get a little bit older and more experienced, you maybe have a bit more to share with some of the young boys coming through. But the boys in the squad are there for a good reason – they’re great players and they know a lot of stuff themselves.”

His first foray into the spotlight in 2015 was understandably a big learning curve. Slade had his eyes opened to the importance of recovery, something he is reaping the benefits from as his 33rd birthday in March looms.

Slade uses visualisation to aid his kicking routine (Getty Images)

Another tool he has developed is the power of visualisation. “I feel like you can get an extra kicking session in without actually kicking a ball, and obviously, you can never miss when you haven’t got a ball, so it’s good for that!

“I’ll come in on a day off and just put myself in different positions, whether it’s a goal kick or a kick to touch or something. I just go through my technique and just visualise how I’m approaching the ball and hitting the ball through the posts, just from different positions.

“So when it comes to that in a game, you’ve already done it in your mind. And then the night before a game, I’ll be lying in bed before I go to sleep and sort of try and visualise it. I think that’s one of the biggest things that’s helped me and I’ve seen most results from.”

With the 2027 World Cup draw finalised, attention is slowly turning towards the global showpiece in Australia. Slade is desperate to be there – he still has great memories of Japan 2019 despite the pain of England falling at the final hurdle.

“World Cups are obviously always huge. To get the opportunity to play that would be amazing. I think it would make it even more sweet, considering I missed the last one. It’s a little way off yet and there’s a lot of rugby to be played. I’m thinking along the lines of when I didn’t get selected for the last one.

“It’s how to put your best foot forward. It’s not about (looking) too far in the future; it’s about what’s right here in front of you right now. It’s just gradually putting yourself in a good spot to give yourself the best opportunity to be involved. I’d love to be able to do that. But it’s someone’s opinion, so I’ve got to keep working.”

Slade loves life in Exeter having grown up in Devon (Getty Images)

At the time of writing, Slade’s future is not confirmed. He’s off contract at the end of the season but Exeter and Rob Baxter seem very confident he will renew. He is very settled in Devon and admits it would take something special to drag him away from home, even if he did briefly consider starting a new chapter when he was licking his World Cup wounds out in the back garden.

“Everything was going through my mind (then). But I love playing for Exeter. I’m from just an hour down the road (Plymouth). I get to see my family every week; they come to all the games. I’ve got babysitters on the doorstep. I love playing in front of the fans. It would have to be an incredible offer to pull me away.”

That, of course, could have come from Mike Tindall’s proposed breakaway R360 competition before its inaugural season was postponed until 2028, crucially after the next World Cup.

That could make it a realistic option for Slade, who believes the concept is a positive thing for the game. “I think it’s a good idea. The way they’re trying to make it a big show and a big event each weekend, I think that’s only going to grow the game in terms of an audience.

“As a player, what’s attractive is – obviously, you want to play in a World Cup, but if there’s no World Cup for a little while – a new competition would be exciting. For our short careers, if the money’s really good and there are fewer games that speaks for itself.”

He’s not doing too badly on the financial front as it stands as one of 25 players with an enhanced England contract, guaranteeing around £150,000 a year on top of their club salaries, whether they play every single International or none at all across a season.

“I think it’s brilliant for stability and you can rely on it. Before, the financial incentives were brilliant but weren’t guaranteed. You could pick up a knock, so having that certainty is really good.”

We meet Slade at Sandy Park (Richard Butcher/Rugby World/Future)

Whether or not he receives the extra bump next year remains to be seen, but his domestic form shows no signs of waning. Exeter’s PREM revival this season has been something to behold after a 2024-25 campaign that is better forgotten after lacklustre displays led to the departure of defence coach Omar Mouneimne and senior club servants Ali Hepher and Rob Hunter.

By winning four out of their first six games, Rob Baxter’s Chiefs – who have welcomed Dave Walder and former Saints back James Wilson into the coaching fold – have already matched last season’s wins tally in a third of the games.

When we sit down with Slade, they are second behind only Bath. A first foray back into the play-offs since 2021 is firmly on the agenda. Slade even believes the redemption arc after last year’s ninth-place finish would make his third PREM title the sweetest yet.

“The hunger is more than ever really. If we were to win a Premiership now, it would maybe even feel the best it’s ever felt, just from the journey we’ve been on as a team – from having won it to experiencing heartbreak in finals to where we were last year.

“To be part of a team that gets to the play-offs this year would be huge for the club. And obviously when you get to that play-off, all you want to do is win the thing.”

Preparation is key and Slade credits Baxter’s “absolutely savage pre-season” for getting the Chiefs off to a flying start this season. “Last year we had a very young squad. We probably overperformed the year before, and then at the start of last season a lot of senior first-team boys were out injured.

“We started to get narrow losses and it snowballed. Before you know it, you’re five, six, seven games in and you haven’t won a game, and then people start thinking, ‘Are you actually bad?’ But we were only losing by a few points in games.

“This season, everyone was so excited to start again after a terrible, frustrating year. Rob (Baxter) ran a very, very hard, absolutely savage pre-season and the boys were in the best shape I’ve ever seen and so fit.

“I think you see that in the way we’ve come back in a few games this year, being down in the first half and coming back in the second. There was a real confidence in the fitness of the lads and results obviously breed that bit more confidence. We’ve got some really good players.”

Slade is particularly enjoying his new partnership with Australian Len Ikitau, recently named the Wallabies’ Player of the Year. There are new faces at work and another coming off the field as Slade and wife Megan are set to welcome their third child in April.

Henry Slade has two daughters with wife Megan, who is expecting a third child (Getty Images)

They are already parents to daughters Olive, five, and Orli, two, who are already keeping Slade busy when he’s not grinding away at Chiefs HQ. Like their first two, the Slades are keeping the gender of their new arrival a surprise and although he relishes being a girl dad, Slade admits that he is hoping to add a boy to his brood.

“I just want the baby and my wife to be healthy. If I’m being honest with you, I do want a boy. But whatever it is, I’ll be so happy. If it was a girl and we found out the gender early, I’d just be annoyed for five months, whereas if it’s a girl and we find out on the day, I’d just be annoyed for five seconds!

“I think it’s the best surprise in the whole world.”

Slade has had to trade playing Call of Duty with the boys in his downtime from rugby for Daddy duties, but he wouldn’t change a thing. “Girl dad life is very good. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Before Olive came, our eldest, I was so set on wanting a boy, but as soon as she came I just started crying. I couldn’t even speak for about two hours. You just can’t understand. I thought I loved my dog for life – I was like, ‘Who’s Frank?!’ As soon as she was born, you don’t understand how much you can love someone. You think you love your mum that much but there’s nothing like it.

“You sort of unlock a new level of love and it’s amazing. I’m so glad I’ve had girls because your sons aren’t going to look after you when you’re older, so I’ve got two girls to look after me when I get old!”

Slade draws the line at letting his daughters paint his nails – “I don’t agree with that!” But he puts on shows with them and relishes the handwritten love notes that Olive writes for him on her craft table.

Having kids provides a healthy dose of reality that helps keep rugby-related problems in check. “When you come home, they don’t care if you’ve won or lost, or if you’ve had a good day training or a bad game. They just want to see you because you’re Daddy. You can just switch off completely from what’s happened at rugby.

“It’s good because if you had a great game, they bring you straight down to reality, and conversely, if you have a bad game, you go home and they’re happy to see you. It’s great to take your mind off things.”

Slade’s arrival to our interview was delayed by treatment for a dead leg caused by back-row bright spark Kane James in training. “One of the hardest tackles I’ve had for a long time. He hits very hard. I think once he gets a bit more game time, he’s going to be a serious operator.”

While we wait, the big boss Tony Rowe pokes his head in looking for our man of the moment. We can only presume he is desperate to get his long-serving talisman to put pen to paper on a new deal.

Slade is such engaging company that it’s bad news for us when, in seemingly no time at all, the next person to intrude is one of the Sandy Park staff trying to lock up.

Like Slade, we deal with this by heading for The Imperial, although just for a quick pre-departure feed. It’s been 13 years since he made his Exeter bow but we board the train back to London safe in the knowledge this club stalwart is far from finished yet.

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