A hushed buzz has descended over Sandy Park. It’s not just the roar of the crowd after a dominant win — it’s the quiet, insistent whisper that Exeter Chiefs may be housing the best rugby player in the world that nobody in the England setup seems to want to talk about. According to sources close to the club, Henry Slade is allegedly playing the best rugby of his career, and the stakes have never been higher.
The dramatic shift began decades ago, when a fresh-faced 19-year-old academy product trotted out at the Kassam Stadium for his first senior appearance. That kid, Henry Slade, was then just a dual-registered fly-half for Plymouth Albion. Now, insiders say, he has become the engine of an Exeter side that has stunned the Premiership by storming back into the top four for the first time in five years. The question that now has the rugby world buzzing: why isn’t he starting for England?
Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, didn’t hold back in a recent press briefing. ‘Right now, he’s playing at the level of one of the top centres in the world — consistently,’ Baxter allegedly told reporters. ‘Back in 2020, when we were winning doubles, he was considered among the best. But this? This is the same level, if not better. That’s the real story.’ Baxter’s comments have reportedly sent shockwaves through the England camp, with many wondering if the coaching staff are making a massive mistake.
Slade’s numbers this season are undeniable. He ended the 2025/26 campaign as the league’s top try-scorer, and his Man of the Match performance against Saracens to secure a top-four finish has reportedly left other Premiership clubs ‘terrified’ ahead of the playoffs. ‘He’s traveling alright at the moment, isn’t he?’ Dave Walder, Exeter’s attack coach, said with a knowing smile. ‘Defensively outstanding last week against Leicester, and against Saracens he was world-class with the ball and his goal-kicking. He just brings this calmness that changes everything.’
But here’s where it gets complicated. Despite this red-hot form, Slade has been inexplicably frozen out of the England starting XV. He’s played in only nine of England’s last 21 Tests, and just one this season. He didn’t get a single minute in the Six Nations. Sources close to the player tell us that Slade is ‘frustrated but professional,’ and that he’s using the snub as fuel. One insider even claims that ‘if the England coaches don’t see what everyone at Exeter sees, they’re going to regret it when he tears it up on the summer tour.’
The situation has become a major talking point among fans and pundits alike. ‘If I was picking an England team, I’d have Henry Slade in there,’ Walder admitted publicly. ‘But I see him every day. He’s doing exactly what any player who’s not picked should do: playing at an elite level on both sides of the ball, week in and week out. I’m sure he’s in their thoughts.’
Still, the numbers don’t lie. Slade was reportedly included in the recent 42-man alignment camp, and insiders expect him to be a key figure on England’s summer tour. But the bigger question remains: will he ever get the international recognition he deserves? Or will his legacy be that of a club legend who was ‘one of the best in the world’ but never truly embraced by his country? As Exeter push for another Premiership final, one thing is certain: Henry Slade’s story is far from over, and the drama is only getting started.
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