Hockey: Black Sticks hosting biggest tournament on lucky home turf

Andy Hayward's penalty corners are vital to the team's success. Photo / APN

Shane McLeod and his Black Sticks team will take the memory of that epic 2008 Olympic qualifier into the 33rd Champions Trophy tournament at North Harbour Hockey Stadium.

On the same turf on which the New Zealand men beat Argentina 3-2 with a cracking sudden-death goal from Brad Shaw to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the team, with many of the same players, will be chasing a top-four finish in the tournament which brings together the world's eight best nations.

"Sure, it's a bonus to be playing on a ground which has happy memories," said McLeod. "That was then, this is now but I think if we put things together we can make the top four.

"It might well come down to one key game to do that."

McLeod sees the second-round match against Korea as a "must win" and has targeted the first-round clash with Germany as the other game vital to their top-four hopes.

Their other pool B match is against the high-ranked Dutch and McLeod, obviously, would prefer to go into that not needing a win to progress.

Increasing the number of teams from six to eight - with the addition of Korea and Pakistan - doesn't make it any easier. Even as hosts for the first time, McLeod accepts it will be tough.

Unlike World Cup and Olympic tournaments, which are contested by 12 teams, the Champions Trophy brings together just the world's top eight teams - there's nowhere to hide.

"For many of the players this will be a last chance to play in a Champions Trophy, as I expect a number will retire after next year's Olympics," said McLeod.

"We all know how hard it'll be. Australia [rate] this tournament highly and will bring their strongest team.

"Drawing with them in the last Oceania Championship, we know at times we have closed the gap but they, and other teams like Holland, will want to make the most of their time here in their last such hit-out before London.

"This tournament is an important gauge for us," said McLeod.

"A top-four finish would mean we could be a semifinal chance at the Olympics, which would in turn guarantee automatic entry to next year's Champions Trophy.

"But, if we play-off for fifth and sixth, it would show there's more work to be done if we are to contend in London.

"Playing-off for seventh or eighth here would mean there's even more, and much harder, work to be done."

Not surprisingly, McLeod sees penalty corners - both attacking and defending - as key to success.

"It's the strength of any team's game. We have to do well at both. With the way the game is played today, earning [attacking] penalty corners is getting tougher.

"If you can score from six penalty corners at a tournament like this, you could well be in contention."

While Hayden Shaw's retirement left a void in the PC stakes, McLeod is happy with what Andy Hayward and Matt L'Huillier have shown since taking over.

It's still very much a work in progress and one vital to any team's success.

Asked who he saw as the winner in the December 11 final, McLeod replied quickly. "Either us or Australia. Hopefully we'll have a big crowd behind us. I think people will be really impressed with what they see."

While many teams continue to use their centre-half as their pivotal player, McLeod tends to shy away from that.

"We're trying to avoid having a 'go to' player as we might have done in the past with Ryan Archibald. I'm sure Australia no longer use Jamie Dwyer like that as it's too predictable for opposing teams.

"Our focus these days is a mix of attack and defence."

Of his call to elevate Dean Couzins to the captaincy ahead of Phil Burrows, McLeod said everyone, including Burrows, is "getting on with it."

And focusing on the biggest hockey tournament ever hosted here.