Ireland will be relying heavily on leadership qualities this week. But it is one thing the team’s New Zealand-born backs’ coach Andrew Goodman won’t be short of, when he faces his mentor and All Blacks boss Scott Robertson next Friday in the Aviva Stadium.
With Caelan Doris installed as Irish captain and Peter O’Mahony arriving to the team base in the Algarve on Sunday morning, having played 40 minutes with Munster against an All Black XV on Saturday, leadership is in no short supply.
The Irish team have been in Portugal all week for warm weather training.
“He’s been consistently good over a long period of time and I think the main focus for him will be to keep playing well and will have a ‘follow me’ kind of leadership style,” said Goodman of Irish captain Doris.
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“He’s got great guys around him, obviously Pete has come back in, the likes of Tadhg Beirne etc that have got a lot of experience around them. So, I’m sure there will be a lot of great people around him that will be of benefit to him.”
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Ireland’s first match of the Autumn Nations Series will also be Goodman’s first Test match for Ireland, having left Leinster at the end of last season. The successor to Mike Catt, Goodman was on the Emerging Ireland tour last summer in South Africa but the team played against club sides, Pumas, Western Force and Cheetahs, not national teams.
Robertson was also the coach that gave Goodman an opportunity as a player at the Crusaders club in Christchurch.
“Yeah, Razor was a big mentor to me,” said Goodman. “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 in 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. The game has kind of moved on and evolved a lot over the last couple of years.”
“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, makes it extra special.”
Ireland coach Andy Farrell has invited Johnny Sexton into camp and the former Irish captain has already spent a few days with the team. The 39-year-old, who retired from playing after last year’s World Cup in France, is due to return to offer some advice to the three outhalves in the squad.
Munster’s Jack Crowley with 16 caps, Leinster’s Ciaran Frawley with six caps and the uncapped Sam Prendergast are the three selected by Farrell, all with relatively low mileage at Test level.
“We’ve only been together for a couple of weeks and Johnny was in last week so it is great to have him around first and foremost and he will be around for another day or two this week. He’s helping 10s and doing work around their goal-kicking,” said Goodman.
“We have three 10s [that are] relatively inexperienced at Test level so to have someone with 120-plus caps to come in and sit down with them and talk through scenarios is going to be massive. He will add a lot to the coaching group as well with that experience.”
At 42, Goodman is just three years older than Sexton and is still on a coaching learning curve at international level. His contract with Ireland ends in 2027. New Zealand on Friday night represents something of a bittersweet moment, and also a baptism of fire.
“My first match with Ireland, that’s what I’m focusing on. It’s an opportunity for me to be a full-time Test coach and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that I’ve been given and the support I’ve had from the whole staff and playing group through this time,” said Goodman.
“So, 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.”
New Zealand have been shorn of a couple of team leaders with centre and vice-captain Beauden Barrett and hooker Codie Taylor ruled out. Both left the field during last weekend’s game against England with head injuries and will not be available to face Ireland.
