Slade looking to build
By Mark Stevens
17/10/17
Henry Slade has praised the character of the Exeter Chiefs after they kicked off their European Champions Cup campaign with victory over Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night.
The England international helped play a starring role for the reigning Aviva Premiership champions as they secured a hard-fought 24-15 success over their Scottish rivals at Sandy Park.
Tries from Harry Williams, Jonny Hill and Sam Simmonds were the highlights for the Chiefs, who earlier in the contest had trailed 10-0 in as many minutes after the Warriors hit them with a converted try from winger Tommy Seymour and a penalty from Finn Russell.
Thankfully, the Chiefs regrouped well as the match continued, using their juggernaut pack of forwards to batter down their opponents and seal a crucial win in their opening fixture of Pool 3.
It sealed only a second-ever first round victory for the Devonians in Europe's top club competition and Slade insists he and his team-mates must now use that as a springboard for the remainder of the competition, which continues this weekend with an equally testing assignment away to Montpellier.
“We made that a focus coming into this competition. We were aware we hadn’t started well in previous years and we wanted to put that right,” explained Slade.
“We made that a focus coming into this competition. We were aware we hadn’t started well in previous years and we wanted to put that right,” explained Slade.
“We made a bit of a shaky start, but we always back ourselves and I think that showed. We demonstrated a lot of character coming back from going 10 points down early on.
“Glasgow attacked well and even though it was wet they were running exits and we were aware of it and their threats and we will now do some more good analysis before our game in Montpellier next weekend.”
Now, the Chiefs must ready themselves for the threat of a star-studded Montpellier outfit, who themselves will be looking to bounce back after they crashed to defeat to Leinster in Dublin.
Plymouth-born playmaker Slade is expected to be part and parcel of the Chiefs plans for the weekend - and he's hoping he can continue his impressive start to the season, which has seen him put in a number of stand-out performances.
The 24-year-old admits he has been encouraged by not only his own personal form, but also that of the Chiefs, and says a disappointing personal performance in England’s second test against Argentina during the summer helped fire him into this season.
“I have been working on putting pace onto the ball when I am getting it,” revealed Slade. "That’s been much better for me this season. It makes me more decisive and I am pleased with how I am going and how the team is going.
“We have had a much better start to the season than we did this time last year and I am feeling good.
“After the tour to Argentina I had a couple of weeks on holiday and I had a chance to reflect and I wasn’t so pleased with my performance in the second test against Argentina.
“To finish the season on a performance that you are not so pleased with plays on your mind for a while, and when I got back to Exeter I spoke to Ali Hepher and Rob Baxter and the rest of the coaches at the club, and had a chat with Eddie Jones and the England guys, and just thought that was the way to go, and I worked on it all pre-season and it has definitely been good.”