Hockey Side ‘Robbed’

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32076, 26 August 1969, Page 21

Hockey Side ‘Robbed’

The New Zealand men’s hockey team, which returned to Christchurch yesterday from an 11-match tour of Australia, felt it had scored a moral victory in the third and decisive test, said the team’s coach (Mr R. H. Mackinlay) last night.

New Zealand, in fact, lost the test 0-1 but, said Mr Mackinlay, twice the umpire disallowed goals by New Zealand on the grounds that the ball had hit the upright.

“We contend and we are supported by the replay of the match on television that on both occasions the ball actually went into the net and bounced out again,” said Mr Mackinlay. In Australia hockey goals are made of wire mesh supported by metal poles. The New Zealand side had played magnificently in the third test, said Mr Mackinlay. Even better, he thought, than in the first test, which it won, 2-1,

Australia was clearly superior in the second test and deserved its 2-0 win, he said. As well as its two test losses, New Zealand was also beaten by Victoria and West Australia, and drew with South Australia.

The team, which included a number of players new to top-class hockey, had acquitted itself extremely well on a very strenuous tour, said Mr Mackinlay. The younger members of the side had learned a great deal and the experience they gained should be of considerable benefit to the game in New’ Zealand, he said. W. Wright, the Canterbury left half, G. Dayman, the Auckland left back, and K. Rigby, the Hawke’s Bay forward, were three young players to progress considerably on the tour.

He also spoke highly of the contribution made by the Canterbury centre half, .A. Paterson, who captained the team, and the Wellington goal-keeper, T. Manning. A. Mclntyre (Wanganui), although restricted through an injury, was another player to impress. The Australian state hockey championships had been concluded shortly before the New Zealand team arrived and this ensured that the state sides were at their best when they met the tourists. Not At Best The Australian team, which included a large proportion of the side which won the silver medal at Mexico,, did not play up to the standard it had at the Olympics, Mr Mackinlay said.

The speed in shooting of the Australian forwards was one facet of play which New Zealand should emulate, he said.

With the best players from this team and the proven members of last year's Olympic Games side who were not available for the Australian tour, there would be an excellent nucleus for a squad for the Munich Olympics in 1972.

However, if New Zealand was to do well at Munich it was important that more international competition was obtained before 1972. This was something Australia had realised, Mr Mackinlay said.