Hockey: Archibald back to best form

Ryan Archibald. Photo / Dean Purcell

The Black Sticks' nail-biting 2-1 loss to Olympic champions Germany was Ryan Archibald's first hockey international in 18 months but fans at the packed North Harbour Hockey Stadium on Saturday would not have known it.

Seemingly able to pick up where he left off almost 18 months ago after playing last year's Champions Trophy in Germany, Archibald produced the kind of slick hockey which has long tagged him as among the very best to play for his country.

While he was been in his self-imposed exile from the international game, Archibald's hockey brain obviously remained as sharp as ever as he played a key midfield role against the Germans, who snatched victory with a deft deflected goal late in the group B match.

Forced to join the rest of the world's hockey elite in taking an unscheduled day off yesterday as rain washed out play, Archibald said that while it was frustrating it may well have him in better shape when the tournament resumes today with the Black Sticks to play their must-win match against Korea at the end of the day's play.

"We just have to take it in our stride and it was a nice chance to get out and have a wee break," said Archibald, 31, a 250-plus veteran on the international scene. "I still feel a little disappointed and frustrated with the result but other than that I'm upbeat and enjoyed getting back into it."

Long regarded as a technician of undoubted skill, Archibald, while maybe a metre or two slower than at his prime, was nevertheless an important cog in the Black Sticks midfield.

His vision, passing skills and the ability to retain possession were quickly obvious and showed how much harder his teammates need to work in his absence.

"There were a couple of periods in the match when I noticed my fitness was down a bit but, overall, I was happy with how I played. I would have liked to have had a bit more ball going forward in the second half but, generally, I was content with how things worked out." In taking his leave from the national side, Archibald gave up his position as New Zealand's most-capped player to long-time teammate Phil Burrows who, with 263 caps, has moved 11 ahead of Archibald.

"It is something that doesn't really worry me now," said Archibald. "When you start out you think it would be great to reach 50 or 100 but the more you play the less you think about the number of caps and worry more about the results and what you can achieve.

"It would be great to be New Zealand's most capped player but it was my decision to focus on other things and let Phil take over."

Those "other things" included ending his annual trek to play club hockey in Europe, a change of jobs and getting married to former Black Stick Kim Noakes in late August.

Archibald is now business development manager at Envirowaste Services, where he is charged with looking at improving waste and environment services.

His long service to New Zealand hockey is in the final straight with the London Olympics almost certainly his international swansong.

The icing on the cake could come in London if he joined his father Jeff - another player on the short list of New Zealand's best - as an Olympic goal medallist. His father was a member of the New Zealand team who surprised the world with their 1976 win in Montreal. A repeat next year would be just as big an upset but one the Archibald family would happily take.