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Rob Baxter's brutally objective review of Henry Slade's performance

By PA
Henry Slade /PA

Exeter Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter felt their first-half performance laid the platform for a much-needed first Premiership victory of the season.

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Despite going 10-0 down and failing to make a dent in the Sale Sharks defence in the opening 39 minutes, they dominated possession in the second quarter and eventually got their reward.

Henry Slade touched down twice and Will Witty added another try as they secured a 25-15 triumph to get off the mark in 2021-22.

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“The key part of the game was that half-an-hour period in the first half where it probably looked like Sale were dominant in defence – it didn’t look like we were going anywhere – but actually that’s part of the wearing down process,” Baxter said.

“It’s never about running over people from the first minute. From the first minute, you work hard and I think the half-hour after we went 10-0 down was the making and breaking of the game.

“We didn’t concede any more points, we worked really hard and, although we didn’t really get anywhere, we stayed at it and that opened up space later on. That was what we capitalised on as the game wore on.”

Will Witty
Will Witty /PA
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Witty earned the man-of-the-match award but it was Slade who was at the heart of everything the Chiefs did – both good and bad.

There were a number of errors from the England centre but he also produced when it mattered to help the Devonians out of their rut.

“He’s probably a microcosm of us as a team,” Baxter said. “There was some really good stuff, some real hard work and some real quality play, but it was interspersed with some real poor play.

“He dropped the first kick-off of the game and there was a pass to nobody when we had a broken field in front of us. His great play was interspersed with poor play, but that’s a little bit like where we have been suffering as a team.

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“Once we get that a little bit more solid, that’s what will allow us to really thrive again.”

Exeter handed Sale their first defeat of the campaign and Sharks boss Alex Sanderson felt his side went away from the game plan in the second period.

“Aside from a little bit of ill-discipline around the ruck, we had them physically and we looked comfortable defensively – back to our best,” Sanderson said.

“In the second half we had a very clear plan in terms of where we were going to play the game and how we were going to get there, and we went away from that.

“We’ve got to address that. Maybe I’m not clear enough but the players just said I was, so either we can’t execute it or some of the lads could have done better.

“That’s the worry. We need to be on the same page. That’s where we lost it – a couple of sets after half-time which led to 10 points.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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