Saracens can benefit from Goode vibes

Zurich Premiership: Ambitious fly-half leaves Leicester and arrives at new club hoping to pass on winning habit

Andy Goode has only been at Saracens a matter of weeks but he has already enjoyed a sight most of the club's supporters are still yearning for after two long years of waiting. Last Sunday, on tour in Japan, Tim Horan and Thomas Castaignède made it on to a field together in anger for the first time, and it was Goode's pleasant task at fly-half to unleash a pair of internationals whose stars have unerringly waned since joining Sarries in the summer of 2000.

"We scored nine tries as a team, and the back line got eight of them," said Goode. "We had a laugh about it afterwards, that half our wage cap was out there, based on Timmy and Thomas being on at the same time."

If the humour is as black as the Saracens jersey, it is no surprise. Goode has swapped four seasons of constant success at his previous club, Leicester, for a team who finished 10th in the Premiership last time out, and parted company with head coach François Pienaar halfway though. The warm-up win over Japanese opponents was only preparation for the serious business of today's Premiership opener at Bristol, but any signs of hope are to be seized upon under the fresh stewardship of Pienaar's successor, Wayne Shelford.

With two Heineken Cup winner's medals and four league titles from his time at Leicester, Goode would have to be a supreme optimist to expect more of the same in his new surroundings. His motives for making the move, and so leaving the champions' No 10 shirt in the possession of Austin Healey, are varied. "To fulfil my international aspirations I need to be playing and goal-kicking week in, week out," he said. "Jonny Wilkinson's the best fly-half in the world at the minute and my aim is to break into the squad and catch Charlie Hodgson up as No 2 to Jonny.

"As for the club, we're looking to finish in the top three or four, and our main aim is to qualify for the Heineken Cup. Obviously, Leicester are the top club and anyone would think I've moved to a lesser club. But I'm happy here, I've fitted in well and, personally, the reward I'll get is to see our wingers and full-back running tries, left, right and centre. There's a lot of good players here who last year played without smiles on their faces. I want to change that."

Yet even as Goode mused over the prospects of an encouraging start at Bristol, the siren of a passing ambulance drowned out the conversation. It was terribly apt. Sarries have been slapped in the face by Lady Luck so often you suspect there may be a permanent scar. And they go into today's match with their two big signings at forward (in every sense of the word "big") crocked and unavailable. Craig Quinnell, the Welsh lock, is recovering from a knee operation, while Christian Califano, doyen of the French front row, damaged ankle ligaments last week.

But Horan, who missed the last five matches of last season with a wrist injury, is on the bench, and Castaignède starts at full-back after 22 months of Achilles tendon trouble. Throw in England's scrum-half, Kyran Bracken, and a trio of internationals outside in Ben Johnston, Tom Shanklin and Darragh O'Mahony, and it's a back line bursting with potential. "To build a good relationship with Kyran will enhance my career within the England set-up," said Goode. "Timmy Horan is the world's best centre in the modern era; I'm picking things up from him in training. And Thomas is like a little kid again, just starting to play rugby. The backs have got strength in depth, they're exciting, and if we can get the ball out to them I think we can do a lot of damage."

It is not as if Goode never got a look-in at Leicester. Last season he started more than 20 matches. But Tim Stimpson was first-choice goal-kicker. And Healey intermittently took the No 10 jersey, most notably for the big one, the Heineken Cup final against Munster. But if Healey's presence was evidently bad news for Goode, the latter is philosophical, reasoning that, at 22, his CV, which includes England Under-21 and A caps, is the envy of many.

And he departed Welford Road on decent terms. "Tim [Stimpson] was the goal-kicking coach last year and I did a lot of work with him. He said when I left that he'd always help if I just gave him a ring." Dean Richards might have something to say about that.

Goode kicks well out of hand, and lacks nothing in confidence. Around him are a squad yearning to emerge from Pienaar's long shadow. "From what I can gather, when it was under François, it was 'whatever François says, goes'. The good thing now is that it's an open forum. Every one's welcome to their say, although obviously we don't want 32 people chucking their ideas in at the same time.

"Wayne is the general in charge but he's a great believer in players taking responsibility. Some of the front row are coming up with attacking options when last year they wouldn't have dreamed of saying anything."

Weighing more than 14 stone, Goode was soon nicknamed "Warney", as in Shane. There's a touch of Dan Dare about the square jaw and blond quiff. Saracens, who of late have been more Dandini than Dan Dare, could do worse than mould themselves in Andy Goode's image if they want to avoid another pantomime season.