Hockey: Canadians offer solid hit-outs for Black Sticks

Two tests against Canada in Auckland this weekend will give the Black Sticks men's team a solid final shakedown as they prepare for a Commonwealth Games medal hunt.

The internationals at Lloyd Elsmore Park today and tomorrow will be a precursor to the Games clash between the teams in the second round of pool games in Melbourne on March 18.

New Zealand should win them - they are ranked No 9 to Canada's No 16. But the games are about more than just victories on the scoreboard.

"We want to get through various combinations we've got and see how they go on the field," Black Sticks coach Kevin Towns said yesterday.

"We also want to work on some attacking plays and ensure we're able to create plenty of opportunities. And defensively we want to be pretty attacking and really apply a lot of pressure to the Canadian team."

Towns will stick to the 16 players going to Melbourne over the weekend.

Two places are available for the subsequent World Cup qualifying tournament in China, a few days after Melbourne. Towns did have an idea of giving some game time to wider squad members vying for those spots.

But he's shelved that idea and the two extras for China will be chosen after assessing their performances this season plus their work in training.

As for Canada, Towns expects their policy will be to sit back, soak up pressure and look to break quickly.

Several of Canada's leading players are not here this weekend, so Towns believes there's no real merit in boxing clever ahead of the Games clash and hiding certain strategies.

"All in all, I think both teams will get quite a lot out of the weekend," he said.

* The Black Sticks will wear the Michael Campbell-inspired Kia Kaha strip this weekend, marking the start of a three-year contract between the company and the national men's and women's teams.