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Exeter Chiefs coach Rob Baxter: 'Henry Slade deserves England call-up'

Exeter Chiefs coach Rob Baxter claims that Henry Slade deserves his place in England's Rugby World Cup squad despite a lack of international experience.

Exeter Chiefs coach Rob Baxter has praised the decision to name Henry Slade in England's Rugby World Cup squad.

The centre has been included in the 31-man party for the tournament despite playing just one game for his country.

While admitting that Slade's experience at international level is limited, Baxter believes that that the 22-year-old deserves his place in the squad.

"All I wanted people to do was believe what they saw with their own eyes," he told BBC Sport. "What England's management has done is believe what they see and back the positives Henry brings.

"The only negative is he's not played a lot of international rugby, but it's exactly the right decision. You pick players on how they're playing and the form they're in when they're right in front of your face, not on statistics. Henry fully deserves his call-up."

England play their final Rugby World Cup warm-up match on September 5 when they host Ireland at Twickenham Stadium.

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