Hockey: Absences prompt selection reshuffle

Casey Henwood of North Harbour and Bryce Collins of Canterbury will make their international debuts when the New Zealand men's hockey team plays a five-test home series with Canada this month.

The pair are the only newcomers in the 19-man squad that coach Kevin Towns named yesterday, although other players have been recalled in the absence of captain Simon Towns (in England) and forward Gareth Brooks (in Holland).

Wellington midfielder James Nation is back for the first time since playing three tests against Malaysia in 2001 and Canterbury midfielder Peter Stafford returns after playing at the Commonwealth Games last year.

Auckland's Ryan Archibald, who missed last month's Sultan Azlan Shah tournament to concentrate on his university studies, returns as does North Harbour forward David Kosoof. The tests are in Palmerston North (April 26), Napier (April 29 and 30), Levin (May 3) and Wellington (May 4).

National side

The squad, selected by Kevin Towns, John Christensen and Charlie Oscroft for the April 26-May 4 series against Canada in the lower North Island, is:

* Goalkeepers: Paul Woolford (Auckland, 40 caps), Kyle Pontifex (Wellington, 2).

* Defenders: Dion Gosling (Auckland, 121), Dean Couzins (Auckland, 31), Hayden Shaw (Canterbury, 28).

* Midfield: Mitesh Patel (Wellington, 71), Darren Smith (North Harbour, 137), Wayne McIndoe (Auckland, 62), Blair Hopping (North Harbour, 49), Casey Henwood (North Harbour, 0), Ryan Archibald (Auckland, 98), James Nation (Wellington, 3), Bryce Collins (Canterbury, 0), Peter Stafford (Canterbury, 17).

* Forwards: David Kosoof (North Harbour, 43), Umesh Parag (Wellington, 175), Bevan Hari (Auckland, 109), Phil Burrows (Wellington, 70), Lloyd Stephenson (North Harbour, 12).