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'I won't be able to stay with him': Alex Goode on life in Japan and his opening round Top League clash with George Kruis
As English rugby’s top-flight takes a two-week break, former Saracens talisman Alex Goode is preparing to make his debut for NEC Green Rockets in the Japan Top League against former teammate George Kruis, who is now with Robbie Deans’ highly-rated Panasonic Wild Knights.
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Goode and Kruis face each other at Kumagaya on Saturday even though the start of the 2021 Top League, like the major European competitions, is being shaped by positive tests for Covid-19.
Forty-four people from three teams – Toyota Verblitz, Suntory Sungoliath and Canon Eagles – tested positive in pre-season screening and it has resulted in the cancellation of the two opening round matches involving those three clubs.
However, the green light has been given for the Rockets versus Wild Knights encounter where Goode, on a break in Japan after signing a contract extension at Saracens through to 2023, will face Kruis who is now a teammate of ex-Wales centre Hadleigh Parkes.
Based at Abiko, 25 miles north of Tokyo, Goode told RugbyPass: “We [Green Rockets] are the only semi-professional team in the league and that means we have to train later because the Japanese players are at work during the day.
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We're back for 2021 as Zeebs, Ryan and Christina are joined by top referee JP Doyle! ?
The guys chat cancelled rugby, Xmas celebrations and the crazy scenes we witnessed in the PRO D2 ?
?? Full Episode – https://t.co/q6H97kFDUN pic.twitter.com/qx80GjWTiZ
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“Training is hugely different from Saracens and a lot gets lost in translation. I will be playing out-half and explaining about going flatter, wider or sneaking in behind someone. It means I spend a lot of time with the translator. The big boss makes all the decisions and it is different from Sarries where we were very player-led, constantly pushing back with the coaches in training. That takes a bit of getting used to.
“We had two 40-minute practice matches coming into the season and the experience has been challenging but also very rewarding as they [Saracens and Rockets] are two very different clubs. I have been at Sarries for 15 years and know all the staff and players, but here our Japanese players have to shoot off and go to work.
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“This weekend I’m playing against George, who has been my teammate for ten years. We have met up in Tokyo a couple of times. With Covid, we have to get the bus back straight after games, so I won’t be able to stay with him again this weekend which is a shame.
“George’s team is one of the top two in the league and are coached by Robbie Deans. They have a really good set-up built for rugby and have six or seven of the Japan World Cup squad. The Japanese players at my club are really talented and I can hopefully point them in the right direction.
“Any new player has to integrate with a new club and it would be impossible to replicate the special place that Sarries is to me and you do miss having 30 of your best mates around every day. I’m lucky that Richard Graham, who coached at Sarries under Alan Gaffney and Eddie Jones, is here in my apartment block and Sam Jeffries and Andrew Kellaway are two Aussies I get on really well with and went skiing with them.
“It has made my time very enjoyable here. I have already played against Jesse Kriel and there are so many great players out here but they are also in a different system and now have Japanese players alongside them.”
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Goode, who had to go through two weeks isolation before he could link up with the Green Rockets, is enjoying the very different rugby life in Japan compared to North London. “Any time you move countries on your own with a huge time difference then it’s going to be tough, particularly having to initially do two weeks isolation.
“Since then I have loved Japan and I was lucky to go skiing at New Year. There are so many incredible things about the country, including the food. Door to door it takes about 45 minutes to get from my house to Tokyo central station.
“There are so many great places to eat near where we are, and also the best Mexican I have ever been to. It’s because of the care they put into their cooking, even if it is a pizza. They have the discipline to make this beautiful meal every time, which is perfect.
“I have been keeping in touch with all the Sarries boys, including Will Skelton and Alex Lozowski in France, and the club is keeping tabs on me. I heard about the Premiership not playing for two weeks and they should have played because there will be a backlog later on.”
As the COVID-19 situation continues to worsen in Japan, the #TopLeague season is coming under threat.https://t.co/GZFTORSefc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
1 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
4 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to comments