Unfinished business for Slade

By Mark Stevens
22/5/17

Henry Slade accepts it will be a case of unfinished business for Exeter in Saturday's Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham.

A year after the Chiefs were beaten 28-20 by Saracens in English rugby's end-of-season showpiece, Devon’s finest are back for more.

Wasps, making a first Premiership final appearance since 2008, are their opponents this time around after they edged out Leicester Tigers, while Rob Baxter’s Chiefs side dramatically ended Saracens' hopes of a back-to-back European and domestic trophy double when replacement Sam Simmonds touched down in the last minute at a packed out Sandy Park.

Exeter finished tied on 84 points with Wasps after the 22-game regular season, and Premiership silverware is now a fierce incentive for both teams, with the Chiefs seeking a first title in their 146-year history.

Asked if Exeter felt they had unfinished Premiership business to deal with, England international centre Slade said: "Definitely. I think this year we have had a change in mindset.

"Last year, we were happy to be in the final regardless of the result. Obviously, we were disappointed not to have won, but this year we set our stall out early that we wanted to win the league and put ourselves in the best position to do that.

"We were happy to have got where we were last season, but I think we are that bit better. Every season we have been in the Premiership we have incrementally improved, and the only way for us to improve on last year is to win it."

The Chiefs fell behind when Saracens wing Mike Ellery scored four minutes from time, but Slade added: "You never want to be down on the scoreboard, but over the last few months or however long it is since we last lost, I never felt like we were going to lose a game.

"That is probably the confidence and the belief we have in the squad. Even when we have been down 15 to 20 points early on, we have still come back to win.

"I think we definitely took confidence from that. Anything can happen in two minutes of rugby, let alone five. There was no panic stations. We just focused on doing the next job."

And Slade played a huge role in Exeter's winning try, kicking a brilliant 60-metre touch finder under acute pressure to set up the close-range attacking lineout from which Chiefs eventually scored to continue a seven-month unbeaten Premiership run.

Saracens rugby director Mark McCall described Slade's strike as "one of the great kicks of all time", and certainly had it not been for his remarkable accuracy when the chips were down, then Exeter seemed destined to suffer semi-final agony.

"It came off the boot really nice," Slade said. "With only a minute left, I had to go for it and try to gain as much territory as possible. But that was only half the job, and the boys had to put a hell of a drive together to get over the line. It was not just about the kick.

"I was trying to get it deep into the 22, because if we get our maul five to 10 metres out, then it is very hard to stop. We had a minute left, and that was more than enough for me to try to get it into that corner and give our forwards the best chance.

"I have just practised it enough times throughout my career and the season. I had the kick hundreds of times in practice throughout the last few weeks. I am just thankful that it came off.

"They (Saracens) have won a lot of trophies recently and have been going really well, but we have such confidence and belief in ourselves.

"Every time we step on to the field, we don't contemplate losing. I hadn't even considered not being in training next week. That is not any disrespect to Saracens - they are a top side - we just have such good belief in ourselves."