Ed Slater on mission to show more for England
An uncapped tourist to New Zealand in 2014, the 28-year-old’s World Cup hopes were dashed by injury and new boss Eddie Jones has yet to look his way.
Slater told TRP: “When you’re on the outside and you see Maro Itoje and George Kruis drop and you’re still not in their thoughts, it’s difficult to take. But clearly I need to show more of myself.
“It’s disappointing because I think I could have an impact in that team, but I’ve had a couple of text exchanges with Eddie Jones and the messages are simple. He just says: ‘Game time and aggressive work-rate’.
“Physically, I’m in the best place I’ve been in a long time. I’m 118kgs (18st 8lbs) and the competition we’ve got at Leicester, with Graham Kitchener, Mike Fitzgerald and Dom Barrow vying for places, is driving me on to be the best I can be.
“I’ve still got a burning desire to play for England and believe I will one day.”
Slater is hungry to end the Tigers trophy drought since 2013 but applauds the club’s refusal to join big-spending rivals Saracens, Bath and Wasps in breaking the bank to buy success.
Saracens are Premiership and European champions but success has come at a cost, with the north Londoners losing £4m annually, while title pretenders Wasps (£3.8) and Bath (£1.8m) have also incurred heavy debts.
Leicester pursue a different model, one less reliant on single benefactors, but Slater believes his side remain viable contenders for this season’s title.
Slater said: “You’ve got to be careful about accumulating debt. Leicester’s approach is to live within our means, which you completely understand.
“We’ve got the right model, with good support and a good ground, and we’ve got a good enough squad to win the Premiership title despite what other clubs are paying players or the calibre of marquee signings they’ve got in.
“Trophies have run a little dry here over the last three years but we made it to two semi-finals last season and feel we’re good enough to challenge.”
NEALE HARVEY
