Olympic Hockey Team Now Showing Value Of Hard Practice

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30562, 3 October 1964, Page 10

Olympic Hockey Team Now Showing Value Of Hard Practice

[From

NORMAN HARRIS,

"New Zealand Herald" Reporter!

TOKYO, October 2.

The New Zealand hockey team has played Germany twice in practice matches within the last two daysand has finished all square, with a 4-3 win and.a 1-0 loss. . This might appear no more than satisfactory against a country which New Zealand beat, 1-0, in the Rome Olympics, yet behind the score the indications are far more-promising.

The matches against Germany which is represented -by the East German team have been very inter- . esting. The Germans play an extremely rugged brand of hockey, even in practice matches, and the New Zealand eleven is not so delicate as to be unable to withstand such encounters. The New Zealand team, too, is a very fit one—as shown yesterday when, after meeting Germany, they went straight back on the field to defeat a local university side, 6-0. “If we can do this,” said their captain, P. G. Bygrave, “we can last the 70 minutes of any hard match.” The defence of the New Zealand team, traditionally its strongest point, was almost immaculate yesterday. But there was something else in the play of the team yesterday which promised well. This fact was observed upon by the German management, when told that New Zealand hockey had slipped a little since its fifth placing at the Rome Olympics. “We think New Zealand has a very good team,” they said. “Technically, they are very good indeed.” SKILL, VIGOUR Yesterday, there was a skill to go with the vigour. There was a much higher degree of ball control, particularly in trapping, and there was a pattern of attack with understanding among the forwards.

It did not happen that they scored against Germany yesterday, but they were attacking for the greater part bf the game. They were often thwarted

by a remarkably agile goalkeeper, yet a more important reason for not scoring was lack of finish—a man often possibly a split second too late with the final pass or in arriving on top of the goalkeeper to knock home a rebound. The main point, however, was that these chances were made. There, was often a sequence of very cool, thoughtfur and clever things being .done as the New Zealanders moved around in the Circle. At least there was penetration, in a decisive manner, even if the finish was a little lacking. The finish will come.

CHANGED IMAGE And so the image of the New Zealand game has changed somewhat. It had often recently given the impression of being played by adapted Rugby men instead of, as now, exponents of hockey.

And the reason for the change? Bygrave, who agrees that the team has improved much .on its form against India recently in New Zealand, names the factors of intensive practice and splendid grounds. Undoubtedly this is true. The team has been up at 6 a.m. of a morning to exercise, and the same morning has undertaken a three-hour session, comprising 45 minutes of seven-a-side hockey and the rest of the time in concentrated goal shooting and trapping practice. But another factor appears to be bf great importance. This is the influence of Bygrave himself, in his dual role of captain and coach. There is no doubt that, in addition to his long experience—these are his third Olympics—he is a natural leader.