The New Zealand men's team beat their old rivals and Six Nations Invitational tournament favourites the Netherlands 3-1 in Kuala Lumpur at the weekend.
Manager Arvind Jasmat said it was the first time in about 15 years the New Zealanders had beaten the Netherlands and the boys were "a bit chirpy" after the match.
At halftime they were up 1-0 after a field goal by forward Phillip Burrows.
Early in the second half, forward Bevan Hari took the New Zealanders to 2-0 with another field goal. Shortly afterwards defender Brett Leaver potted a penalty corner to take the score to 3-0.
The Netherlands scored their sole goal in the dying stages of the game.
"We knew it was going to be a difficult match, and we're pleased with the result before the World Cup," Jasmat said. "I don't think we've beaten them since the mid-1980s."
The tournament is a curtainraiser for the World Cup next month, which will also be held in Malaysia.
The team yesterday had a rest day, which they spent training for today's match against Malaysia.
On Friday, New Zealand lost 4-2 to old rivals Australia, the other tournament favourites.
New Zealand play Pakistan on Wednesday and Japan on Thursday.
The NZ team arrived in Kuala Lumpur barely 18 hours before starting the tournament.
- NZPA
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