Gallagher Prem: Henry Slade inspires Exeter to Harlequins rout in timely show for England
Henry Slade impresses for Exeter with 23 points to his name against a deflated Harlequins ahead of the autumn internationals series; following their impressive performance against Saracens last week Quins' head coach Jason Gilmore admitted this was a "reality check"
Monday 20 October 2025 06:38, UK
Exeter centre Henry Slade provided a timely reminder of his England credentials with a virtuoso performance in a thumping 38-0 win over Harlequins at a windswept Sandy Park
With the autumn internationals just around the corner, where the centre will earn his 74th cap, Slade racked up an incredible 23 points with two tries, a penalty and five conversions.
He also created a try for Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with Harvey Skinner and Greg Fisilau also crossing in a one-sided Gallagher Prem clash.
Exeter's mammoth win came despite losing two players ahead of kick-off, with Scott Sio and Paul Bampoe-Brown withdrawing through injury, and handing debuts to their two Australia internationals, Tom Hooper and Len Ikitau.
- Leicester pip Prem champions Bath in final play, Saracens thrash Sale
- Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW
- Latest rugby union news, features and video
"I thought we responded pretty well from the frustrations of the defeat last week [to Bristol Bears]," said Exeter forwards coach Ross McMillan. "We got down to work in training and there was no hiding from last week's disappointment.
"The guys are now getting the rewards, not essentially every week, for the hard work they are putting. Ethan Roots picked up the man-of-the-match award today as he's a grafter.
"We knew Quins have a dangerous and multi-layered attack as they showed last week, but we put pressure on them at source and it paid dividends.
"The two Australians, Ikitau and Hooper, have come into the squad and have immediately adapted to the environment so we are a band of brothers.
"I thought Olly Woodburn coming back in at short notice and performing so well was a huge plus as he's been out for so long and he and the medical staff have had to work very hard to get him back on the field."
Slade kicked Exeter into a fourth-minute lead with a simple penalty before Harlequins' Marcus Smith's restart went straight into touch and before he completely lost his footing when taking a penalty to illustrate just how tricky the conditions were.
They were clearly in the Chiefs' favour in the first half, but both sides struggled to get to grips with them, with Slade's penalty the only score of a disjointed and forgettable first quarter.
Exeter then suffered a blow when prop Will Goodrick-Clarke departed with an arm injury to be replaced by Ethan Burger, but they overcame the setback to score an excellent try.
A superbly-judged cross-field kick from Slade was collected with aplomb by Feyi-Waboso, who scored his sixth try of the season following a difficult start to 2025 with a shoulder injury.
Just 90 seconds later Exeter scored another as Quins failed to deal with an up-and-under which went loose, allowing the home side to seize possession and quick passes sent Slade on a 30-metre dash to the line.
Quins' woes continued when number eight Chandler Cunningham-South was forced off with a leg injury before they then made a mess of fielding another up-and-under to allow Skinner to win a kick and chase to touch down.
Slade soon added his third conversion giving Exeter a 24-0 interval lead and within four minutes of the restart the hosts secured their bonus-point try when Fisilau crashed over to reward a period of sustained pressure.
Up against 13 men, after Quins captain Cadan Murley was carded for a deliberate knock-on, Exeter took full advantage, with Slade scoring his second try to complete a miserable afternoon for the Londoners.
"It was a reality check for us, especially when one compares last week's impressive effort against Saracens to our performance today," Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore admitted.
"It wasn't nice watching the boys go through that today as Exeter won all the collisions and the aerial battle and we had no answers.
"It was definitely a matter of mindset and it's a challenge for us coaches to address it.
"Marcus [Smith] was a bit off today and it certainly was the opposite end of the spectrum after his heroics last week, so it wasn't a good day at the office for us."
