HE HAD to wait eight weeks, but Alex Goode is finally a winner in Japan after the NEC Green Rockets advanced into the second round of the Top League elimination playoffs, edging out the Toyota Industry Shuttles in a dramatic finish, 25-24.
Despite the filthy conditions, with driving rain and a slippery surface more accustomed to Vicarage Road than the Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka, the two teams contrived to produce a thriller, clinched by a Goode penalty in the 80th minute.
Even then, there was still time for his compatriot to steal the result back, with Freddie Burns missing with an ambitious drop-goal attempt from near halfway, after the final siren had sounded.
Defeat was tough on the Shuttles, who were the better side for much of the contest and looked to have booked their place in the next round when they eased out to a 24-15 lead entering the final ten minutes, with NEC down to 14-men after Australian flanker Patrick Tafa was sin binned.
That the Green Rockets escaped was credit to their fortitude, given that the win snapped a 14-game losing streak dating back to the middle of 2019.
Goode is on a season-long loan from Saracens but home will be the furthest thing from the mind of 2019 the European Player of the Year as he contemplates NEC's next opponent in the knockout series Suntory Sungoliath, and in particular their star man, All Black fly-half Beauden Barrett.
While two of the fivetime Premiership winner's 21 Test caps were earned against New Zealand, Goode didn't oppose Barrett in either, as the future World Rugby Player of the Year came through the ranks behind Dan Carter.
After appearing at fullback when England memorably upset New Zealand at Twickenham in 2012, Goode came off the bench to replace Joel Tomkins at centre 12 months later when the All Blacks avenged the previous year's reverse.
The Green Rockets will be seeking more of the same from their Saracens loanee next weekend, after he helped to curb an influence from Burns over the Shuttles, that has arguably been greater than that exerted by Barrett at Suntory.
Leicester-bound Burns had been in supreme form as the Shuttles won the second-tier challenger tournament in a canter, scoring six tries, and 57 points, in the previous two games. He crossed the NEC goal-line too, only to have the ‘try' chalked off after a call of offside against the Shuttles' Samoan inside centre, Tusi Pisi.
Both qualifiers from the challenger tournament in action yesterday bowed out, with the Coca-Cola Red Sparks exiting after a gallant performance against the Mitsubishi Dynaboars.
Red Sparks, who finished third in the challenger tournament, led until the 76th minute before two late tries from Michael Little, the son of the 1990s All Black centre, Walter Little, sunk them.
The Little intervention made a big difference as Mitsubishi got home 24-17 to move into a second-round meeting with defending champions Kobe.
By MATT MCILRAITH
