The All Blacks have named a near full strength side to take on South Africa in the world cup opener. Video / Mark Mitchell/AP
Bernard Goodhue tries to keep a lid on the excitement and nervousness he feels when his son, All Black centre Jack, is lining up in test matches.
But the self-described "rugby nut" from Northland admitted in a Radio Sport interview that he finds it easier to watch test matches in which his son isn't playing.
Bernard Goodhue said having a son play for the All Blacks brought on a "different set of emotions than I imagined".
"It's completely different," he said from his Kawakawa farm.
"When you've got a young family and people say 'he's a very good player and he might be an All Black' you think that would be fantastic although you don't like to think it because they may not be.
"When you get there it's actually quite tense, it changes the whole dynamics of watching a game because they're involved. You don't want them to get injured or muck up.
"I don't know how other parents feel … when he first made the All Blacks I'd get excited about a game and then of course he got two belts of sickness and missed and you get let down.
"So now I've managed to be quite low key about it. I don't get as excited as I used to. I just let it happen - he may play, he may not, he may get injured this week, he could miss the cut.
"So you have to keep it low key so you don't get disappointed if they're not playing.
"It's probably a bit easier to enjoy the game, to be honest, when he's not playing. I don't know if other parents are like that or not but that's how I feel."
Jack Goodhue...the Kawakawa Kid. Photo / Photosport
While Bernard Goodhue was a rugby player, he wasn't from a rugby family. Jack, whose twin Josh is a Super Rugby forward, followed older brothers Cameron and Axel into rugby.
"He's just always loved the game … there's no advice I can give him now," said Bernard.
"You've just got to go with it and enjoy it while it's happening. It's their lives - you don't want to get too involved, I'm not talking to him every day. He's living it."
Meanwhile, Bernard revealed there might be a family division over Jack's old-style mullet haircut.
"I don't mind it … my wife's not the same," he said.
"But the more people tell Jack to cut it, the less likely he is to cut it. He always does exactly what feels right for him.
"The funny thing is I tell him he's just trying to look like I did at his age. I was a fan of the mullet then. I've got quite a few photos. He doesn't like it when I say that."
