Hockey: Black Sticks want 3 wins from first 3 Cup games

The Black Sticks have targeted nine points from their first three games to lay a solid foundation for their World Cup campaign when the tournament starts in Monchengladbach, Germany, tomorrow.

With world No 4 Spain and No 1 Australia as their final two group games, New Zealand know they must hit the turf running against Argentina and snare points against Pakistan and Japan to be in the hunt to make the semifinals.

"We feel we should be getting nine points [three wins] out of the first three games. That would be the ideal situation," coach Kevin Towns said last night.

"If you were to choose your own pools then you would split the two top teams, play one first and one last.

"But the rubber has to hit the road tomorrow, there's no room for hiccups or errors."

The leadup has been encouraging, with four wins from five games, but Towns won't be fooled by that.

There are valuable aspects to practice games but the real deal starts with Argentina.

There is only one injury worry, fullback Bradley Shaw, who took a painful whack on a knee bone in the win over Korea. MRI scans have revealed no break, but he's likely to sit tomorrow out.

Towns believes his team are ready to get into action. There comes a time when players are itching to move from preparatory phase to competition and he believes other nations in Germany feel similarly.

The leadup had been pretty good with little left to chance. Two games against China had been cancelled and NZ players had to be flown over from Wales to make up a squad game.

"But we're pretty much on track and where we'd like to be at this time," he said. "The team that went to the Athens Olympics had more experience at the back and was probably stronger defensively," Towns said.

"This team will be significantly stronger going forward, maybe with less experience at the back. So it's important the midfield and forwards put things together and maintain more possession."

In drag-flick maestro Hayden Shaw, the Black Sticks have one of the strongest penalty corner exponents; in captain Ryan Archibald, who at 25 has already played 160 internationals, they have a top quality midfielder who has been in prime form this year.

The Black Sticks are chasing a medal, which means a top two finish in pool play.

But making the top six is the absolute minimum target.

WORLD CUP

Group A schedule for New Zealand, the world No 9 (all games live on Sky Sport):

Tomorrow: v Argentina (world No 8), 4.30am (NZT)

Saturday: v Pakistan (No 5), 2am

Sunday: v Japan (No 14), 3.30am

Tuesday: v Spain (No 4), midnight

Wednesday: v Australia (No 1), midnight

Classification matches start Friday, Sept 15