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Brive up the chase for Goode

Wednesday 09th July 2008

Goode move: Andy Goode is off to France

Leicester fly-half Andy Goode is poised to be 'sold' by the Tigers to French club Brive, subject to payment of a �150,000 ($295,000) transfer fee.

Goode has been offered a thumping wage-packet of over �200,000 per year to make the move, and join Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson in France's Correze region.

The Tigers signed Toby Flood from Newcastle for a similar fee a couple of months ago, but Goode's departure will leave them short of cover at number ten, with Sam Vesty the other candidate to fill the role when Flood is on England duty.

New Tigers coach Heyneke Meyer does not expect the player to be on the roster when Meyer arrives at Welford Road next week.

"Heyneke's view, which we share, is that we wouldn't want to keep an unhappy player. But Andy is under contract and we'd want to be compensated adequately for losing his services," said Tigers chairman Peter Tom to the Daily Mail.

Goode has been under pressure for his aptitude to let his game go wayward at crucial moments, most recently in the Guinness Premiership Final, and there have been constant rumours of the arrival of another fly-half at Leicester to take Goode's regular starting spot.

Juan Hernandez had been set to make the move, but that was aborted both by Stade Fran�ais and by former Tigers coach Marcelo Loffreda, whose position was becoming untenable.

Flood signing was another nail in the coffin for Goode though, and Brive, who have signed more than fifteen players for next season including Welsh number eight Alix Popham, appears to be too good an opportunity to miss.