Hockey: Team has foundations to match world's best

Mark Hager wants to see the Black Sticks climb the world rankings. Photo / Dean Purcell

National women's hockey coach Mark Hager is convinced the players named next week for the four-match series against India will have the individual skills to match the best in the world but he reserves judgment on how they will perform as a team.

Hager and his co-selectors met yesterday after the last of four back-to-back trial matches at Lloyd Elsmore Park this week to select the 18 players for the games - not official tests - against India in Christchurch and Nelson next month and an expanded national squad of up to 25 players.

It was Hager's first real look at budding Black Sticks despite being in the country since January.

There was plenty of new talent on display with only Gemma Flynn, Kate Saunders and Stacey Carr of the 16-strong squad who disappointed at last year's Beijing Olympics in action. Other Olympians Krystal Forgesson, Emily Naylor, Kayla Sharland and Sheree Horvath opted out of the trials because of on-going European commitments but may well be named by Hager when he releases the squads next week.

"I feel we are heading in the right direction," said Hager. "Individually skill-wise I feel the players are up there but now we need to see where we are at when competing internationally. The team who play India will be vastly different from the one who played at the Olympics.

"Some of the players who weren't here for the trials will definitely be considered both to play India and for inclusion in the national squad. Others from that team have either retired or made themselves unavailable in the meantime at least."

Asked whether the next Anna Lawrence, Suzie Muirhead, Mandy Smith or Lizzy Igasan - all standout players for New Zealand in recent times - will emerge from this latest group, Hager said he felt there were three or four players with the potential to be world class. "It is now up to them to put the time in and show they want to do it," he said.

Hager said the new rules which had been in force this year had not met universal acceptance but the players were coming to grips with them.

"We haven't spoken about them at length but we have to quickly learn how we and other teams utilise them."

On the vexed question of finding a truly international drag flicker, Hager said those who had been tried so far were "pretty raw" but said he was prepared to be patient.

"We have focused on four or five players but we need to realise it can take up to two years to become really proficient. The drag flick option at penalty corners gives you so many variations so we have to work at it but at the same time be patient."

Of a more pressing concern is the determination by Hager to see the Black Sticks climb the world rankings. Now outside the top 10, Hager says it will be a challenge.

"Under the ranking system it is difficult to climb even one or two places but we have a good chance to assess our progress with matches against some of the world's best with series against Argentina and China in July and Australia in the Oceania tournament in Invercargill in August."