It’s great to feel up for the England challenge, says Saracens full-back Alex Goode

For a player who always seems so confident, full-back Alex Goode makes the surprising admission that a lack of self-belief had held him back before breaking through for England.
After making his debut off the bench in the second Test against South Africa, Goode made his first full start in the following week in Port Elizabeth.
As a full-back there are few harder tests than coping with the barrage of bombs Morne Steyn’s right boot unleashes, but not only did Goode gather everything that rained down on him, the 24-year-old proved England’s liveliest outlet in attack.
Many experts had been beating the drum on Goode’s behalf long before this summer, but the Saracens star confesses to The Rugby Paper that he probably was not mentally ready to supplant Ben Foden and Mike Brown until this season.
He said: “For the first time in my life I felt I really believed I deserved to be playing for England . Before this summer I did not fully believe in myself. I was a bit down that I was not in the World Cup squad.
“Maybe it was getting a few knockbacks from certain people.
“Not getting selected hits  your confidence, but after the World Cup I just made up my mind to work as hard as I could and it showed in that I had a good year.
“I had a lot of self-doubt. It was frustrating me but when the new management came in I started to pick up my game.
“This has been a real confidence booster. I felt good and that I belonged in that environment.  There were one or two things that I would have changed but overall for my first start I was chuffed to bits.
“It is something I can improve on but as a marker I was very happy with that.
“It was good to show people I was ready, a few people said I deserved a start so it was nice to repay their faith.”
Goode, along with the rest of Saracens’ internationals, return to training on Monday and already the club are talking about changing their attacking philosophy.
Saracens’ 35 tries in the Premiership was half of Leicester’s total but it is the arrival of arch poacher Chris Ashton on the wing and the change in the laws at the ruck, where teams can keep the ball at the base for just five seconds, that will necessitate evolution.
Goode, though, will take it all in his stride. He fully expects the competition from Brown and Foden to remain ferocious but no longer feels in any way out of place in their company.
The only thing that rivalled the nerves of his debut was the prospect of singing his initiation song in front of the team bus. He said: “It was Tom Petty’s Free Falling – it didn’t last long until the boos started. I think I only made it through two verses – I have never been particularly proud of my voice.
“I had a lot of nerves before my debut but it was a bit easier because we were chasing the game. I was thrown on and I just wanted to make an impact.
“The week after there were some nerves, but I was definitely a lot calmer and I felt I was in a good place.
“I don’t think for a minute I am the man in the possession of the shirt. Ben Foden is a class player and has shown how good he can be. Mike Brown is also a great player so it is a very competitive position. It is good to have that competition for places, it will drive all three of us on.
“I gained a lot of belief about how to handle yourself in that arena. It is a tough day at the office for a full-back when you are playing South Africa.
“You have to do your basics well which I felt I did and I don’t feel overawed now playing in that environment.”
Sarries former director of rugby Brendan Venter believes Goode’s best position is full-back, having been the man to convert him from his England U20s role at fly-half.
Venter said: “I think he is a good full-back (rather than a fly-half). He offers something different – he has great vision, is solid under the high ball and has a brilliant kicking game. That’s why full-back is his best position.
“He has always had this massive talent and although I had this feeling that he had to serve an apprenticeship first, when he played well in the third Test he showed he was not a flash in the pan. I thought he had an excellent game.”
Venter argues that Goode holds two key advantages over his England full-back rivals.
“He is a much better decision maker on the ball than either Ben or Mike. They are counter runners.
“He offers a different threat on the ball and has a better kicking game than them. He has a very good chance to keep that position into the autumn internationals.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD