Universities Team Enjoyed Successful Tour

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30233, 11 September 1963, Page 13

Universities Team Enjoyed Successful Tour

’THE tour of Australia -*■ which was undertaken by She New Zealand Undversiaes hockey team last month proved mos successful Sixteen matches were played, 14 being won, with only one loss and one drawn game. The team scored 66 goals and conceded 11. With one exception the grounds were extremely hard, providing a sharp contrast with the conditions experienced during the recent winter in New Zealand. A further novelty for the visitors was the high temperature in Brisbane during the Australian universities hockey car-

nival in which they competed. In the circumstances the team adapted itself reasonably well and fairly quickly. There was a considerable difference in the methods adopted by the New Zealanders and those of their opponents. The former based their attack on their strong right flank; the lat-

ter, paying lip service to the alleged need for a more varied attack, played mainly tn the left and thereby Sjarved She right, thus producing the very type of imbalance which they were at such pains to condemn. Hence the New Ze.landers enjoyed a strategical advantage in most of their games, and their stackwork was vastly superior, inevitable in view of the complete lack of such skill by the Australians. In spite of its success the team did not fully realise the maximum potential of the respective members. This was partly due to the youthfulness of the side, and to the lack of adequate coaching in both theory and practice in the formative years of many of the players. They responded well to the tuition of their coach, Dr. J. F. Mann, but obviously require a more prolonged period for any marked development. Their morale was high, the team spirit was excellent, and the whole experience of the tour should accelerate improvement in the majority. The outstanding performer was K. Thomsoh, at centrehalf. His positional play, tactical sense, stickwork, and personal drive gave the team a firm base, and his role was ably supported by the leadership and personal skill of A. Read at insideright, whose presence was of vital importance in holding the forward line together. Sound use was made of the close control and dribbling ability of D. Paget on the right-wing. Ait times Paget appeared rather tentative in the face of

vigorous opposition, but there was no sign of this failing when the test against Ausiraiian Universities was won. This trio possessed a touch of class superior to that of their colleagues. Two otihens to emerge with credit were B. Berkeley, at full-back, and R. Galbraith, at right-half. Their stickwork Shows considerable promise, and much more should be seen of them in representative hockey in New Zealand. At left-half, M. Mikhelson was pleasingly consistent throughout the tour, and with greater maturity should develop the ruggedness necessary to the tempo and vigour which form the retrograde theme of modern hockey. Of the remaining forwards, R. Best was the most prominent. His dribbling was good, his passing more prolific and therefore more accurate, and his conscientiousness was a credit to his fitness; his shooting, how-

ever, requires improvement. In the later pant of the tour there was a distinct advance in the play of B. Rogers on the left-wing. He devoted himself most unselfishly to the general strategy of the team, and his contributions increased in each game as his initiative and confidence grew. In the test his form was of considerable importance to the final result. At inside-leflt, P. Byers, who had earlier in the season been a reserve for the New Zealand test team against Australia, was Farther disappointing. His backtackling was good, but his passing lacked accuracy, he tended to let the ball drift too far to the left of his feet When evading opponents, and he did not reproduce the accuracy in shooting which marked his form in the trials. In his case further development in technique must be accompanied by a greater strategical appreciation of the inside-left position. For the first* half of the tour L. Anderson, in goal, appeared to be affected by the hard grounds and played witlh diffidence, but thereafter he succeeded in recapturing his New Zealand form as confidence returned. In each of its matches the team played more skilful hockey Shan its opponents, and although it gained many decisive victories, better shooting and greater calmness in the circle by the inside forwards would have produced many more goals. Nevertheless, it did well enough to return with an impressive record, and it modestly affirmed some of the basic principles of the game. Of even greater importance was the popularity which it achieved with its hosts.