Ulster head coach Richie Murphy is under no illusions that Exeter Chiefs utility back Henry Slade is capable of anything in their EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final clash in Belfast on Saturday.
The England international grabbed a 17-point haul in Chiefs’ 44-41 win away to Benetton in the quarter-final, with his trademark left boot sealing the deal with a nerveless late penalty.
As well as gaining 32 metres in attack, Slade’s kicking game is sure to test Ulster’s back three’s positioning.
Murphy feels his talents are utilised well by an outfit with an impressive kicking game in general:
“There’s not really anything in the game that he can’t do, is there? I’ve seen a couple of pictures of him defending. He’s aggressive in defence. His passing game is very strong, and everyone knows how good of a kicker he is.
“His goalkicking has been excellent in this competition. Very rounded player, he’s definitely right up at the top of his game. People might think he’s getting a little bit older, but what he’s produced over the last couple of weeks, he’s right at the top of his game.
“They have a big kicking game. They kick the ball quite a lot in their competition (Gallagher Premiership). They also kick to regain possession, they do that quite effectively as well. I think they’re the highest for regaining their own kicks.
“Slade has a kicking game that he can go high, he can go with a short kicking game, he can go in behind the line or he can go to edges. You will notice that he’ll move around positionally.
“Sometimes he’ll be at first receiver, sometimes he’ll be at second and third. It’s just an awareness of where he’s at, an awareness of trying to cover the space in the back field.
“But the minute you take the back field space away, he’s got a passing game that can hurt you in the front field. It’s a balance between all those things. It’s very important we cover as many options as we possibly can.”
Read more:
- Munster 41 Ulster 14: John Hodnett scores four as Ulster drop down in the URC table
- What time and channel is Ulster Rugby v Exeter Chiefs? TV and live stream details for this Challenge Cup semi-final showdown
Welshman Dafydd Jenkins, Italian Andrea Zambonin and Australian Scott Sio are all expected to return to the Exeter pack, having been rested for last week’s Gallagher Premiership meeting with Gloucester.
A disastrous season saw Exeter finish second from last in the league in 2024/25, and were beaten 52-24 by Ulster in Europe, but they have bounced back this season under long standing coach Rob Baxter, currently fourth in the league standings.
Ulster’s heavy beating by Munster leaves them loitering a little dangerously in eighth, the final URC play-off position, but cup rugby is undoubtedly the sole focus this week.
Murphy made a rallying call to supporters to back his side in what is now ‘the business end’:
“I think they’ve been brilliant throughout the year, I suppose the last day we were out, we felt like we let them down a little bit in the Leinster game.
“The two inter provincial games here we haven’t got quite right from our point of view, so it’s really important that we give them something to cheer about, get them into the game early.
“I think at the moment it’s in and around 10,000 people, so it’d be great to get a few more, it’d be great to get a full house and really make it a special day for everybody.
“Our fans have been brilliant throughout the year, how they’ve supported us, and now it’s coming to the business end of the season, we’re going to need them more than ever.”
On their injury front, Rob Herring will miss the weekend, while Scott Wilson and Angus Bell are major doubts. James Hume and Jude Postlethwaite were given a higher chance of proving match fitness, with Murphy stating they ‘should make it’.
Cormac Izukcukwu, Nick Timoney, Bryn Ward and Tom O’Toole are all set to be in line to play.
