Henry Slade out to bite hand that fed him in reunion with first England coach

Six years after setting Henry Slade on the road to the top, Stuart Lancaster is hoping it doesn’t come back to bite him.

The former England boss comes face to face with the player he capped and took as a bolter to a World Cup at Sandy Park today.

Slade is now a senior England international with 38 caps and a mainstay of the Exeter team putting its Champions Cup defence on the line against Lancaster’s Leinster.

He has won three Six Nations titles, a Nations Cup, two Premierships, a European Cup and played in a World Cup final.

But back in 2015 he offered only potential when Lancaster plucked him from the chorus line, gave him one audition, then handed him a part in rugby’s greatest show.

“I’ve always thanked Lanny for giving me my first cap,” said Slade, whose Exeter side have won their last eight home games in Europe.

“Obviously I was quite young coming into the environment there and he was always good at making me feel comfortable.

“I was quite shy, being like 21 years old. He brought me in there, showed faith in me and picked me, so I've got praise for him.

"Obviously he left fairly soon after I started getting really involved, but I have fond memories.”

Neither player nor coach will look back on that World Cup too fondly considering England bombed, Slade was given a game only when it was too late and Lancaster got the bullet.

But each has used it as a launching pad to bigger and better things, with the Cumbrian conquering Europe with Leinster, who have won the Pro-14 in four of his five years as senior coach.

This evening is huge for each of them, with neither side under any illusion that this represents the toughest test of their respective campaigns.

Four-time champions Leinster have won all four previous meetings with Exeter and are fresh as daisies thanks to a last-16 bye after Toulon were forced to forfeit.

Chiefs know they will be targeted both at the breakdown and in the air and will have learned from how Ireland recently took England to the cleaners in both areas.

“In our previous meetings we were younger, a bit naive and less inclined to be as consistent to do things over and over again which is required at that level,” said Slade. “We’re a much better side now.”

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