'If I was picking an England team... I’m sure he’s in their thoughts'

England have been urged to recall Henry Slade after the Exeter man inspired a 32-12 victory over Saracens that secured the Chiefs a Gallagher PREM play-off against Bath.

Slade accumulated 17 points, including a key second-half try, in a man of the match performance as Exeter came from behind to finish emphatic winners over their fierce rivals at Sandy Park.

The 33-year-old won the last of his 74 caps against Argentina last autumn and was consistently overlooked during the Six Nations despite being one of 25 players to be given an enhanced England contract for 2025-26.

Steve Borthwick’s men face Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina next month and Exeter attack coach Dave Walder said: “If I was picking an England team, I’d have Henry Slade in there.

“I see him every day and I know what he’s capable of. He’s doing everything you would expect of a player who’s not being picked by playing well week-in, week-out on both sides of the ball. I’m sure he’s in their thoughts.

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“He’s doing all right at the moment. Defensively he was outstanding last week and against Saracens it was his ability on the ball and goalkicking, all those bits and pieces.

“He just gives us a bit of calmness. He’s playing very well and is in a good space.”

Exeter soaked up heavy Saracens pressure in the second quarter before taking command of their shoot-out for the final available play-off spot to set up a clash with Bath at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.

It will be a treasured victory for the Chiefs, whose duel with Saracens was the Prem’s greatest rivalry of the 2010s and the bad blood between the clubs – intensified by the Londoners’ salary cap scandal – still lingers.

“Nobody around here lets you forget the history between the two clubs, two great and successful clubs,” Walder said.

“It was important we got our emotional level right and we didn’t over-hype the game and the boys were brilliant at that.

“We weren’t as clinical as we could have been in the first half and the second half was more of a reflection of the balance of the game and we got the reward for our pressure.

“We play Bath at The Rec and we go there with confidence knowing we can play, but at the same time we respect a Bath team that is stacked with internationals and have a great home record.”

Saracens’ defeat signalled the end of Mark McCall’s time at the club with the most successful director of rugby in Prem history stepping down at the end of the season after 15 years in charge.

McCall masterminded six Prem titles and three European crowns and said: “I feel OK. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience the highs and the lows.

“I’m absolutely blessed to have worked with the people at the club for as long as I have done. I feel lucky.”