Hockey: Women face tough call in opposition's den

SYDNEY - Pragmatic New Zealand women's hockey coach Jan Borren admits his side's best chance to beat Australia may have passed already, leaving them with a near-impossible task this weekend to qualify automatically for the Olympic Games.

New Zealand went down 0-1 in the first test of their three-match series in Dunedin on Wednesday, and Borren said that match was clearly the ideal opportunity to topple the world and Olympic champions.

The New Zealanders now have to win the two tests in Sydney today and tomorrow to be fast-tracked to the games. Otherwise, they will travel to England in March for the Olympic qualifying tournament.

The win in bitterly cold conditions in front of a parochial Dunedin home crowd extended Australia's 20-year dominance over New Zealand to 31 consecutive victories.

"Our challenge here will be a tougher one," Borren said. "I think everyone will agree that Australia are a classy side. They were a little bit unhappy with their performance [in Dunedin].

"That was probably because we didn't allow them to play their particular game - we eliminated the space that they rely on."

New Zealand practised yesterday in cool conditions at the State Hockey Centre, their first taste of the venue to be used this weekend and at the Olympic Games next year.

New Zealand: Anna Lawrence (captain), Jenny Duck (vice-captain), Skippy McGregor, Moira Senior, Kylie Foy, Sandy Bennett, Toni Mason, Rachel Petrie, Robyn Matthews, Kate Trolove, Michelle Turner, Mandy Smith, Lisa Walton Suzie Pearce, Anne Marie Irving, Helen Clarke, Caryn Paewai.

Australia: Rachel Imison, Justine Sowry, Kate Allen, Lisa Carruthers, Louise Dobson, Alison Peek, Karen Smith, Carmel Souter, Renita Gerard, Brooke Morrison, Kate Starre, Kristen Towers, Melanie Twitt, Michelle Andrews, Alyson Annan, Rechelle Hawkes, Katrina Powell, Julie Towers. - NZPA