HOCKEY/World Cup: Ahead of their daunting meeting with the hosts today in their World Cup Pool B game in Perth, Ireland could have done without the defending world and Olympic champions being given a public "blast" by their coach, David Bell.
The Australians have won their opening two games, and have yet to concede a goal, but such are the elevated standards of the Hockeyroos Bell was largely unhappy with their displays against the USA and Spain and is looking for major improvements against the Irish today.
"We now throw all our energies into getting points against Ireland, they are a strong and tough team, we are expecting we will have to fight hard to get through them," said Bell yesterday. Australia, will expect to win handsomely, nonetheless, and boost their hopes of beating Holland, as it now looks, to top spot in pool B.
Bell has been unhappy with his team's performances in one half of both their games so far and has called upon them to show greater consistency, particularly in converting goal-scoring opportunities. The Australians have only converted one of their nine penalty corners to date.
Riet Kuper, the Irish coach, has probably passed on the same message to her own players but even she, the eternal optimist, knows today's game will likely be a damage limitation exercise.
The dread of being humiliated by the hosts, as well as Holland on Friday, means Kuper is likely to field her strongest line-up, even if she knows the games against Spain and Japan, on Saturday and Monday, offer Ireland their only realistic chances of avoiding finishing pointless in the pool.
"It's not often we get the chance to play in these tournaments, at this level, against teams of this class, so we must go out and enjoy the experience and give it our very best," she said, when asked if she was tempted to rest the team's more experienced players for the Spanish and Japanese games.
Jill Orbinson, struggling with an injured left shoulder, was feeling the worst for wear after the USA defeat and may be on the bench tomorrow, with Karen Humphreys possibly taking her place. Other than that it's likely Kuper will stick with the line-up that started against the USA. If that's the case, UCD captain Ciara O'Brien can consider herself unfortunate not to have earned a starting place after her displays as a substitute in the last two games.
Goalkeeper Tara Browne, too, must wait to see if she reclaims her place from Angela Platt, having been dropped after the England game - a decision that baffled even neutral observers who concluded that, only for Browne, England would have won by a far greater margin than 3-1. Kuper, though, felt the Hermes player could have done better for two of the goals.
In yesterday's pool action Argentina beat the Ukraine 5-1 to go top of Pool A, while Korea stay a point behind after beating Germany. New Zealand and China are another point back following wins over Russia and Scotland, respectively. As both pools stand Australia, Holland, Argentina and one from Korea, New Zealand, China and Germany look likely to fill Friday week's semi-final berths. In other words, the old hockey world order remains unchanged.
WORLD CUP (at Perth) - Pool A: New Zealand 3 Russia 1; Scotland 0 China 3; Germany 1 Korea 3; Argentina 5 Ukraine 1. Today - Pool B (local times): Spain v South Africa, 2.05; USA v Japan, 4.05; Ireland v Australia, 6.05 (10.05 a.m. Irish time); Holland v England, 8.05.
