Goode and Kershaw Let Go By Sarries

By Henry Harman
November 28 2003

Saracens co-vice-captain and Fly Half, Andy Goode along with Prop Andy Kershaw have today parted ways with the club. It is unclear the circumstances surrounding the mutual parting of ways.

Kershaw re-joined Saracens this summer, the club he played for as a youngster and during a loan period last season. There were high hopes for Kersh’, many tipping him to be first choice alongside Emiliano Bergemaschi in the Sarries front-row.

He started the season injured as so many Sarries players do! But got some game time when he returned, unfortunately he looked out of his depth at ZP level which was surprising seeing as he had been so solid throughout the afore mentioned loan period. The arrival of former Springbok Cobus Visagie in the week won’t have raised Kershaw’s spirits as he would be relegated to at-best second choice prop.

Goode, Sarries top scorer this year and 1st choice goal kicker has only been with the club for 18 months.

His Saracens career started well early in the 02/03 season but his form quickly dipped as then Head Coach Wayne Shelford rotated between Goode and Fijian Nicky Little. Goode's form improved towards the tail-end of the season and in turn Saracens' season ended with Goode almost getting one-over on his former team-mates Leicester Tigers in the Zurich Wildcard Final, unfortunately for Sarries the Tigers power up front saw them through in a gripping period of extra time.

On the surface things didn't improve for the big-money man when it was announced that his old 'mate' from Leicester Rod Kafer was announced as the new Head Coach for the 03/04 season.

Reports from Tigers' fans say that Kafer and Goode didn't see eye to eye however Kafer made a bold move by making the fitter, faster, sleeker Goode a co-vice-captain. Indeed on the pitch Goode's all-round game improved, he has been faster through the gaps as Rotherham fans will tell you and even though his kicking from the floor still fluctuates between stunning and down-right awful he appeared to take his newly given responsibility well and looked more like a club man than an expensive prima-donna.

To say that Goode's departure comes as a surprise is somewhat of an understatement (to those of us less in the know!) to say the least. On-field leader, goal kicker and the first (1st choice) Fly-half since the great Michael Lynagh to start a second season in the cursed Saracens number 10 shirt. Something stinks. Whether it is a falling out with the management, off-field pressures or something else written into the on-going soap opera that is Saracens. Only time will tell.