Hockey: Black Sticks' new regime sees team aim high

Ian Rutledge should be a nervous whimpering wreck huddled in a broom cupboard somewhere.

Given that his Black Sticks New Zealand women's hockey squad is about to take on arch rivals Australia, a team they have only beaten once in the last 26 years, Rutledge has good reason to be nervous.

But if he is feeling the pressure, then Rutledge sure knows how to hide it. It is a low key, calculated approach he hopes might just pave the way for a rare series success over the trans-Tasman opposition.

Since taking over as coach three years ago, Rutledge has ushered in a new, more professional regime with the Black Sticks, a programme that now has squad members training almost fulltime. Now he hopes it will pay handsome dividends.

As the first fulltime coach at New Zealand hockey headquarters, Rutledge believes the skill set in the Black Sticks can now rival any national team in the world, starting with Australia this weekend.

"I definitely think the gap is closing. I don't think Australia have the jump on us now and when it comes to mixing it with the best teams in the world, New Zealand is right in the mix," Rutledge said.

Now ranked sixth in the world, just two spots behind Australia, the Black Sticks are in the middle of a week- long training camp Rutledge says is about to step up a level.

The three-test series against the Hockeyroos has automatic entry to the impending World Cup in Madrid Spain on offer. But in between the test series starting on Sunday and the World Cup in Spain next year there are a couple of other significant dates to consider.

Let's start with the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March. Now add in the following: World Cup qualifying tournament in April (pending the result against Australia) and Champions Trophy in July.

That is five major international commitments in 10 months, a schedule that could involve up to 20 test matches.

That hectic roster is probably why Rutledge has so far taken a low key approach to proceedings with the Black Sticks training camp in Whangarei this week.

Thanks to an injection of new talent like Northland teenager Charlotte Harrison, the return of others like Caryn Paewai and Michelle Hollands from the wilderness and the ongoing reliability of others like captain Suzie Muirhead, striker Moira Senior and defender Diana Weavers, the ingredients for a long awaited series win over Australia are at least available.

It is now a matter of managing the players to make sure they stay as sane as he appears to be. Training so far has been building combinations, today it was going to get more focussed on tactics and game plans.

"Because we have these girls together for 16 to 20 hours a week for 45 weeks a year, when we come together for camps like this, we can really concentrate on specifics," he said.

"The pressure to try and develop everything from scratch is not there anymore, we just make sure we manage the players."

Muirhead, the former Northlander with 222 test caps to her name, will obviously play a major role should the Black Sticks prevail. But so too will Rutledge, the cool-as- can-be former Australian calmly steering the ship.

The Black Sticks remain in camp in Whangarei until Friday. The first test against Australia is at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga, Auckland on Sunday.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE