Goode kicked all his side's points in their 15-13 win over Newcastle

Saracens fly-half Alex Goode has fully accepted the responsibility of filling the gap left by injured team-mate Derick Hougaard.

Goode, 22, clinched victory for Sarries with a last-gasp penalty against Newcastle Falcons on Friday.

He told BBC Three Counties Radio: "It's only an opportunity if you take it.

"I've got to make sure I lead the team now for the next six months or so and make sure we're in a position to get to the Championship at the end."

South African Hougaard was ruled out for the majority of the season after rupturing an Achilles tendon in last week's Heineken Cup defeat by Leinster.

Saracens confirmed they were looking at the possibility of bringing in a replacement, with Osprey's Gavin Henson on the shortlist.

Before people like Brendan Venter got here we perhaps wouldn't have won those games Saracens' Alex Goode

But Goode has been stepping up his transition from full-back to fly-half this season and has picked up 32 points already.

He added to his total by kicking all of the north London club's points at Kingston Park.

The former Cambridge man admitted it was the sort of contest his side could well have lost before the arrival of director of rugby Brendan Venter in the summer of 2009.

"Before people like Brendan got here we perhaps wouldn't have won those games," Goode said.

"What the coaching staff have added has made a different Saracens team. At the end of the day we didn't play well, we know that, but we still won, and that's the sign of a good side."

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