Hockey coach wants convincing score

Press, 10 August 1985, Page 80

Hockey coach wants convincing score

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The New Zealand hockey coach, Trevor Blake, wants at least one win by a convincing margin in the two test series against Japan at Mount Albert Park, Wellington, today and tomorrow. Conscious of the need to boost the New Zealand team’s confidence before it leaves next month for the Inter-Continental Cup in Barcelona, Mr Blake said a good win this week-end would put the team in a positive frame of mind for the start of that important

tour. New Zealand has to finish in the first- five at the InterContinental Cup to qualify for the World Cup in London next year. If New Zealand is destined to win one of the tests against Japan by a good margin, it will probably be the second tomorrow. Mr Blake said that the team did not practise as well as it might have yesterday. “I think that they may need the first game to settle into a fluent combination.”

Yesterday morning the team had a 12 minute run to test its fitness and everyone, including Grant McLeod and Chris Leslie, who have had injuries recently, completed the test without bother. Both have been included in the starting XI for today’s match.

A large part of the practice yesterday was spent on penalty-corners — both defensive and attacking. The penalty corner rule has changed this season. Only five defenders, rather than six previously, are allowed behind the goal-line.

New Zealand also practised its striking, where variations to the direct hit play a more important role now that there is one defender less to contend with. Mr Blake is not taking the Japanese team lightly, especially after its 4-1 win against the New Zealand juniors on Thursday. Japan played its first three games on soft grass surfaces in Auckland and Northland, and Mr Blake said he expected a change in the visitors’ form once they played on the artificial turf in Wellington.

Japar .has a very young side — its average age is 20 — but it is fast and enthusiastic. Its best attacking weapon is the captain and right wing, Minoru Sakamoto, and much of its attacking this week-end is sure to be directed through him.

Mr Blake has named a predictable starting XI for the first test. He has not placed his five forwards in playing positions however. They will not be known until the team takes the field. The team is:

John Melhuish; Dave Peterson, Grant McLeod; Jeff Archibald (captain), Robin Wilson, Brown; Peter Daji, Laurie Gallen, Jim Smith, Ramesh Patel, Chris Leslie. Wilson has moved to centre half in the absence of Stuart Grimshaw who is living in Melbourne, but is in the squad for the InterContinental Cup. Peterson will be playing in his first international, and the placing of Archibald at right half was logical. His accurate passing from that position will be extremely valuable. Daji would be of best value to the attack at centre forward, and Patel (left) and Gallen (right) are likely to be the inside forwards. Smith (right) and Leslie < (left) could then be the wings.