Hockey: Indians eager to test Black Sticks' selections

By DAVID LEGGAT

Three players in the Black Sticks squad to play India in a four-test series this week have some bad news coming.

It's probable New Zealand will whittle their party down from 19 to 16 for next month's tour of Australia before heading to the Olympic Games, via a two-week stopover in Germany.

New Zealand coach Ian Rutledge has been toying with the idea of taking either 18 or 16 players to Europe.

The Olympic squad is limited to 16, so two of an 18-strong party would be unable to enter the Games village.

"It's still up in the air. There are pros and cons, but I'm probably leaning towards 16," he said as his team prepared for the opening international against world No 12 India in Dunedin tonight.

Should injury arise in Europe, Rutledge would have the rest of the extended national squad of 26 to call on, and that would offer the chance to replace an injured player with a specialist.

The world No 9 Black Sticks' Olympic squad is expected to be named before they head to Australia for a series in Darwin from June 16-20 and Townsville from June 23-27, against world No 2 Australia, world No 4 China and No 11 Japan.

The squad have a four-week camp in Christchurch before heading to Australia and Rutledge said if there were still selection grey areas, the camp might be used to finalise the squad.

Commonwealth Games champions India are sore at missing out on the Olympics, and Rutledge has no doubt they will be quality opposition.

They come from Australia where they had a 3-3 draw followed by heavy defeats, 5-1, then 9-2 on Sunday against the Hockeyroos.

"They'll bring a lot," Rutledge said.

"They're a good side and feel unlucky to be out of the world's top 10 at present.

"They play an attacking style. They have a lot to prove to the rest of the world and are certainly ideal opponents for us."

The teams last met at the Manchester Games in 2002, when New Zealand won the pool game 3-1, but lost the semifinal 2-1.

India last toured New Zealand in 2001 when they split a four-game series.

Rutledge said his plan had always been to have two peaks in the year - the first for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Auckland in March, in which they finished third to nail their place in Athens, and the second at the Games in Athens.


The Black Sticks squad is the same as that for the Olympic qualifying tournament, plus Manawatu midfielder Melody Rowe.

New Zealand v India

THE SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Helen Clarke (Auckland), Beth Jurgeleit (Wellington)

Backs: Diana Weavers (Canterbury), Lizzy Igasan, Leisen Jobe (North Harbour), Caryn Paewai (Wellington), Rachel Sutherland (Manawatu), Karen Syddall (Auckland).

Midfield: Suzie Muirhead (capt, Wellington), Meredith Orr (Auckland), Melody Rowe, Tara Drysdale, Emily Naylor (Manawatu), Stacey Carr, Rachel Robertson (Canterbury).

Attackers: Niniwa Roberts-Lang (Wellington), Jaimee Provan (North Harbour), Kayla Sharland (Manawatu), Lisa Walton (Auckland).

The itinerary:

Tonight: Dunedin.

Tomorrow night: Oamaru.

Sunday: Christchurch.

Monday: Christchurch.