Fans mystified by Goode's continued England absence

In a weekend of tight Champions Cup quarter finals, Saracens bucked the trend with a resounding 56-27 demolition of Glasgow.

The two-time champions did not have the best preparation for the game, with Owen Farrell pulling out for the birth of his child before kick-off. This meant Alex Goode had to shift from fullback to fly-half.

The fears that this reshuffle would affect Saracens’ performance were allayed with less than five minutes on the clock, as a deft kick from Goode put Liam Williams in for their first score. The 21-cap England international continued to control the game from there and put Glasgow to the sword.

This performance once again raised the question as to why he has been given so little recognition with England, with many fans are mystified on Twitter in light of his performance.

Despite being a consistently high performer for Saracens in a 10 or 15 shirt, Goode has only won two England caps under Eddie Jones. The Australian has opted for Mike Brown and Elliot Daly primarily during his tenure, despite these fans thinking Goode is a better player than either. Furthermore, some fans feel that Goode is actually a better fly-half than either Farrell or George Ford based on his performance against Glasgow.

Goode has one of the best rugby brains in England, and this allows him to operate as a superb playmaker, as he has great vision. Some believe this makes him a cut above his teammate Farrell in that department, although the incumbent England 10 also brings a lot of qualities.

But it is the lack of game time for England that Goode has received that has irritated fans the most. Like Danny Cipriani, Goode has been one of the Premiership’s best players this season, and fans just cannot understand what the players need to do to work their way into Jones’ reckoning.

Many would think that Goode’s versatility makes him a great asset to England, but with every squad announcement the fans are left stumped as he has been overlooked time and time again. All he can do is continue putting in performances that he has for Saracens, and hope Jones has a change of heart.

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