Hockey: Stand-in with points to prove

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Charlie Oscroft arrived in New Zealand five years ago looking for a change, but never thinking he would be going head-to-head with an old friend as coaches of their respective national teams at a major tournament.

The 37-year-old Oscroft - elevated to coach the New Zealand men's side at the six-team Champions Challenge in South Africa in the enforced absence for health reasons of national coach Kevin Towns - will take special satisfaction in tackling England on July 26.

The English are coached by Mike Hamilton, who coached Oscroft at under-14 national level.

England goalkeeper Simon Mason is a long-time friend of Oscroft.

Three other players in the England team are former Reading team-mates. Oscroft played all his hockey at Reading, including playing in the European Cup.

"That doesn't mean I won't be going flat out to try to beat England," Oscroft said from Randburg, South Africa. "I've been here five years now. I've got my [New Zealand] passport and I'm employed by New Zealand Hockey."

Oscroft, who was in Auckland as a best man at a friend's wedding in November 1997 and returned to live six months later, first met Towns at the last national tournament, since replaced by the national league, in 1998.

They later worked together coaching Midland Express.

Taking over at short notice has not fazed Oscroft.

"All the practice sessions were planned with Kevin Towns before we left. The players have been very responsive and responsible.

"We have a huge amount of experience in the squad, with players such as Simon Towns, Darren Smith and Umesh Parag all taking roles in coaching the team.

"They lead by example and have the respect of the younger players. They are not a group who need to be shouted at."

Oscroft says that while every tournament the team plays is important, the focus this year is the three-test Oceania Olympic qualifiers against Australia in September.

"The boys have set themselves the goal of winning a medal in South Africa," Oscroft said. "It will not be easy. The Koreans are ranked fourth in the world, England seventh, Malaysia eighth, Spain 11th and South Africa 13th. On that basis, and with us ranked ninth, we are looking at fourth place. We want better than that.

"But we are not worked up about rankings. We are worked up about getting to the Olympics."

Oscroft said he intended to give all 18 players game time in South Africa, but would not say they would all get runs in the first games, against Korea and Malaysia.

He was coy on the question of goalkeeping, other than to say Paul Woolford is No 1 and that his understudy, Kyle Pontifex, is "still learning."

New Zealand's first match is against the Koreans at 11pm tomorrow.