Commonwealth Games: Black Sticks fall to Aussies in warmup

New Zealand Black Sticks captain Kayla Whitelock sits out the friendly hockey game against Australia. Photo / Greg Bowker

Australia won the skirmish before the real battle when the Commonwealth's top two women's hockey nations met in Glasgow today.

The world No 2 Aussies won the game 2-1 - it was played over two 25-minute halves - after leading 1-0 at the break. The Black Sticks goal came from experienced striker Katie Glynn.

New Zealand captain Kayla Whitelock sat the game out, after taking a blow on an elbow at training 24 hours earlier.

Coach Mark Hager said it that move was more precautionary than of real concern.

He used the game as a chance to tinker with players' roles, and particularly in the absence of the influential midfield organiser Whitelock, it offered a fresh perspective on playing options.

However as New Zealand brought good recent form into the hitout, Hager didn't want to be too clever and risk a bad result.

''Defensively we were a little bit soft in areas, and we had a couple of chances we should have put away in the first half," he said.

''It was pretty even, but we've got to learn to win those games."

Australia had brought more physicality to the game than New Zealand has experienced for some time, but that was good in Hager's book.

''It was a wakeup call for us."

Hager singled out Glynn, who returned to the New Zealand side for last month's World Cup in The Hague after being sidelined for several months with a bad knee injury, for praise.

She had been below her best at the cup but Hager liked what he saw today.

''I thought she was moving a lot freer, and she's getting better and better."
As Glynn is New Zealand's alltime leading goalscorer, having her in sharp touch will be a significant bonus at the Games tournament.

New Zealand will have one final shakedown game against hosts Scotland on Wednesday.