FRIDAY NIGHT’S BLOCKBUSTER meeting with New Zealand will be a pinch yourself moment for Ireland backs coach Andrew Goodman.
It’s only a little over two years since one of the most promising coaches in New Zealand rugby packed his bags and boarded a flight for Dublin, with Goodman lured away from his homeland by the opportunity to work with Leinster’s wealth of attacking riches.
The former Leinster player lasted two seasons as a coach with the province before earning promotion to the Ireland set-up, taking over as backs coach from Mike Catt over the summer.
Goodman shadowed Catt on Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa but this block of November internationals will represent the first chance to make the job his own. First up, a date with his native New Zealand that will stir up a mix of emotions.
“I feel alive, people have asked me what the emotions are like, I feel nervous, I feel excited, getting up in the morning I know there’s something great to look forward to. So I feel alive and I’m looking forward to it.
Growing up in New Zealand, I was rugby mad and the All Blacks were a big part of my upbringing.
“My family was a rugby family so I’ve got the relationships I’ve got, not only through the coaching and management staff but through the playing group as well, it makes it extra special.”
Goodman knows many faces in the All Blacks camp well, having coached with Tasman Mako and the Crusaders before making the move to Ireland.
The likes of Scott Barrett, Sevu Reece and David Havili were all at the Crusaders with Goodman, while All Blacks flyer Will Jordan – who was still a teenager when they first crossed paths – has cited him as a major influence on his career.
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Will Jordan has a strike rate of 36 tries in 38 Tests. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“Will was a young 18-year-old that moved up from Christchurch boys to my home province, Tasman Mako. He was someone with huge potential and promise coming out of school, and we managed to get him up the road to the top of the South Island and then I obviously worked with him for a number of years at Tasman and then through the Crusaders as well.”
Jordan has become a black-clad blur in the nightmares of Irish players, scoring a try in every one of his four appearances against Andy Farrell’s men – including the finish for New Zealand’s blistering first phase score off a lineout in their own half during last year’s World Cup quarter-final meeting in Paris.
Like the man himself, the 26-year-old’s hot streak in the black jersey continues to accelerate, with Jordan finishing a slick team move in New Zealand’s defeat of England in Twickenham on Saturday.
“His Test try record stands for itself, 36 (tries) from 38 (games),” Goodman says.
“He anticipates play really well, he’ll pop out in all sorts of spots and get his hands on the ball as much as possible. So he’s definitely someone we’re going to have to be on high alert for and try limit his impacts in the game.
“He was great to coach because he anticipates and he sees things (quickly), and then he’ll pop up in spaces that you don’t expect him to pop up in because he’s ahead of the game.
“So we have to talk about where he is the whole time and identify him, see where he could pop up and try to make an impact.”
Goodman also worked closely with New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson at the Crusaders, initially holding roles assisting with defence and individual technical development before spending three seasons as backs coach. Such was Goodman’s impact with the Christchurch-based side that he was tipped as a potential successor to Robertson when ‘Razor’ was hired to replace Ian Foster in the New Zealand hot seat.
New Zealand's head coach Scott Robertson. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
His inside knowledge could prove highly valuable on Friday but Goodman is conscious the New Zealand camp will also be dipping into their own information on his systems.
“Razor was a big mentor to me,” Goodman says.
“He gave me my opportunity at the Crusaders and he’s someone I learned a great deal off so I’ve got huge respect for Razor and all of his coaching group. I’ve worked alongside all of them.
It’s going to be great to go to battle with them. Obviously it works both ways; they know me well also.
“There’s little things you’ll look to maybe think about how they might do different areas of the game or what they might bring but it’s Test rugby, it’s a different level to what we were playing in Super Rugby in New Zealand. So it was a different game. The game has kind of moved on and evolved a lot over the last couple of years.”
Friendly rivalries inside, Goodman is conscious this block of games offers him a platform to show he can make an impact coaching at Test level.
“Ireland is doing a lot of great things through the rugby, through the attack side of the game a lot where I’ve come in to assist, so I’ve got to evolve the game and little bits of what we’re training, what we’re doing every day hopefully will start to come through from this Test match on.
“I probably won’t say too much more than that, but hopefully you’ll be able to see the proof in the games as they come up over the November series.”
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Ireland's Goodman relishing battle with familiar faces in New Zealand camp
FRIDAY NIGHT’S BLOCKBUSTER meeting with New Zealand will be a pinch yourself moment for Ireland backs coach Andrew Goodman.
It’s only a little over two years since one of the most promising coaches in New Zealand rugby packed his bags and boarded a flight for Dublin, with Goodman lured away from his homeland by the opportunity to work with Leinster’s wealth of attacking riches.
The former Leinster player lasted two seasons as a coach with the province before earning promotion to the Ireland set-up, taking over as backs coach from Mike Catt over the summer.
Goodman shadowed Catt on Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa but this block of November internationals will represent the first chance to make the job his own. First up, a date with his native New Zealand that will stir up a mix of emotions.
“I feel alive, people have asked me what the emotions are like, I feel nervous, I feel excited, getting up in the morning I know there’s something great to look forward to. So I feel alive and I’m looking forward to it.
“My family was a rugby family so I’ve got the relationships I’ve got, not only through the coaching and management staff but through the playing group as well, it makes it extra special.”
Goodman knows many faces in the All Blacks camp well, having coached with Tasman Mako and the Crusaders before making the move to Ireland.
The likes of Scott Barrett, Sevu Reece and David Havili were all at the Crusaders with Goodman, while All Blacks flyer Will Jordan – who was still a teenager when they first crossed paths – has cited him as a major influence on his career.
“Will was a young 18-year-old that moved up from Christchurch boys to my home province, Tasman Mako. He was someone with huge potential and promise coming out of school, and we managed to get him up the road to the top of the South Island and then I obviously worked with him for a number of years at Tasman and then through the Crusaders as well.”
Jordan has become a black-clad blur in the nightmares of Irish players, scoring a try in every one of his four appearances against Andy Farrell’s men – including the finish for New Zealand’s blistering first phase score off a lineout in their own half during last year’s World Cup quarter-final meeting in Paris.
Like the man himself, the 26-year-old’s hot streak in the black jersey continues to accelerate, with Jordan finishing a slick team move in New Zealand’s defeat of England in Twickenham on Saturday.
“His Test try record stands for itself, 36 (tries) from 38 (games),” Goodman says.
“He anticipates play really well, he’ll pop out in all sorts of spots and get his hands on the ball as much as possible. So he’s definitely someone we’re going to have to be on high alert for and try limit his impacts in the game.
“He was great to coach because he anticipates and he sees things (quickly), and then he’ll pop up in spaces that you don’t expect him to pop up in because he’s ahead of the game.
“So we have to talk about where he is the whole time and identify him, see where he could pop up and try to make an impact.”
Goodman also worked closely with New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson at the Crusaders, initially holding roles assisting with defence and individual technical development before spending three seasons as backs coach. Such was Goodman’s impact with the Christchurch-based side that he was tipped as a potential successor to Robertson when ‘Razor’ was hired to replace Ian Foster in the New Zealand hot seat.
His inside knowledge could prove highly valuable on Friday but Goodman is conscious the New Zealand camp will also be dipping into their own information on his systems.
“Razor was a big mentor to me,” Goodman says.
“He gave me my opportunity at the Crusaders and he’s someone I learned a great deal off so I’ve got huge respect for Razor and all of his coaching group. I’ve worked alongside all of them.
“There’s little things you’ll look to maybe think about how they might do different areas of the game or what they might bring but it’s Test rugby, it’s a different level to what we were playing in Super Rugby in New Zealand. So it was a different game. The game has kind of moved on and evolved a lot over the last couple of years.”
Friendly rivalries inside, Goodman is conscious this block of games offers him a platform to show he can make an impact coaching at Test level.
“Ireland is doing a lot of great things through the rugby, through the attack side of the game a lot where I’ve come in to assist, so I’ve got to evolve the game and little bits of what we’re training, what we’re doing every day hopefully will start to come through from this Test match on.
“I probably won’t say too much more than that, but hopefully you’ll be able to see the proof in the games as they come up over the November series.”
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andrew goodman Inside knowledge Ireland Rugby Scott Robertson New Zealand Will Jordan