Hockey: Few would dare write off fighting Black Sticks

The Black Sticks. Photo / Greg Bowker

The Black Sticks again go into a match at the Champions Trophy as underdogs.

Nothing new in that but given the fight they showed in coming back from 3-0 down to snatch an unlikely 3-3 draw with world No 3 Holland to book their spot in the top four, who would write them off ahead of today's post-pool clash with Olympic silver medallists and fourth-ranked Spain.

The last game on today's schedule at the Owen G Glenn FIH Champions Trophy will again be well supported with the local, and vocal, crowd now expecting, almost demanding, big things from "their" team.

In three matches so far, the Black Sticks' late-match fitness and non-stop running has proven decisive.

Coach Shane McLeod acknowledged yesterday that fitness, and the best possible use of his bench rotation, had been key to their success in bouncing back from the 2-1 loss to Germany first-up to beat Korea 6-1 with four of those goals scored in the second half.

In Tuesday's bounceback against the Dutch, New Zealand scored their three unanswered goals in a 13-minute burst from the 54th minute. They will be all-too-aware that the Spaniards too can finish strongly as they showed in their 8-1 rout of Great Britain, a game in which they scored four in each half after falling behind in the 23rd minute.

"We went in with a set game plan against Holland," said McLeod. "We knew we had to win or at least draw but when we fell behind by three goals, plan A went out the window and plan B came into effect including the call to take off [goalkeeper] Kyle Pontifex to give us an extra outfield player."

A touch of genius perhaps, but for whatever reason - the Dutch later admitted at that stage they were not as fit and fresh as the home team - it worked a treat when Simon Child won the penalty stroke and captain Dean Couzins quickly rattled the Netherlands cage.

"I reckon we finish off games very well. It is always dangerous to attempt to sit on a one-goal lead although the Germans seem to do that quite well. In any game like we are now facing, we will always try and accumulate goals," said McLeod.

Of the ability to finish games "with petrol in the tank" McLeod said using the rotation virtually from the start was key.

"Over the three games all the players have had a decent amount of game time. By doing this we have also been able to give players [defenders] like Dean Couzins and Blair Hopping more breaks than they might normally get. That, come the end of the tournament, could be critical."

McLeod said the players were being monitored by a GPS system which would produce interesting, and vital, information at the end of the tournament.

He reckons, as an example, Phil Burrows - the Black Sticks' best impression of the Energizer Man - will cover around 10km in a game. That in his normal 48-50 minutes of game time.

Spain go into today's game with a record of one win, two draws and two losses against New Zealand at previous Champions Trophy tournaments. In three games here they have beaten Pakistan (4-2) and the British (8-1) and lost to Australia (3-2) in the tournament opener. With so much at stake it promises to be another thriller.

CHAMPIONS TROPHY
TODAY'S SCHEDULE

North Harbour Hockey Stadium
Bottom four:
* Pakistan v Korea 12.05pm
* Germany v Great Britain 2.05pm

Top four:
* Netherlands v Australia 4.05pm
* New Zealand v Spain 6.05pm
All matches live SS2