Aviva Premiership
Goode reflects on perfect day for Wasps
ESPN Staff
December 21, 2014
Andy Goode enjoyed a dream day on Wasps' Ricoh Arena debut © Getty Images
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Andy Goode reflected on a fairytale start to life at the Ricoh Arena after setting an Aviva Premiership individual points record as Wasps stormed to a 48-16 victory over London Irish.

The club marked the first match since their controversial relocation to their new home in the west midlands with a bonus-point win in front of a 28,254 crowd that lifts them to sixth in the table.

Fittingly, it was Coventry-born Goode who inspired the victory with a 33-point haul composed of a try, eight penalties and two conversions to eclipse the previous highest total by one point.

"It sounds cliched and cheesy but it's the sort of thing dreams are made of. It couldn't have gone any better," said Goode, who missed just one of his 11 shots at goal.

"I normally sleep petty well the night before games, but I couldn't sleep well before this one. What a day. Cliches are made for days like this...Christmas has come early! To get the bonus point was pretty special.

"I've been a fair few times with friends to watch Coventry City play, so to run out at that arena is unbelievable. It couldn't have gone any better for me. I took a hammering all week from my little girl for missing five kicks last weekend.

"She made me change my boots and as I came off the field she said to me 'you're keeping those boots forever daddy'. As a kicker and a player you don't go out to get these records, so to find out I'd done it was amazing. If the record is still standing, it will be something I [will] look back on at the end of my career."

Joe Simpson, Elliot Daly and Andrea Masi also crossed to leave Wasps just four points adrift of the play-offs, but they led just 18-16 at half-time as the occasion took its toll on the players' nerves.

"I said to the guys before the start of the game that we can't get carried away with the emotion of it," Goode said. "I'm the oldest in the changing room and I told the players not to do anything they wouldn't do for a normal game. Don't try to be a hero, stick to what we do in training.

"Obviously everyone wanted to put on a spectacle for the fans, especially after all the hard work that was put into making this day happen."

London Irish director of rugby Brian Smith, who has been linked with a move away from the Premiership strugglers at the end of the season, was critical of referee Tom Foley after his team were hammered on the penalty count.

"When a young referee gets a crack in front of a big crowd like this, you get a little bit concerned," Smith said. "It's a mystery that you have Andrew Small with all of his experience as the fourth official, but I'm sure there's a masterplan there.

"Young referees need to be developed and we'll just have to cop it on the chin. It's a very frustrated changing room but I don't want to take anything away from Wasps, this is their big day and their party and we came to have a crack."

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