Men's HockeyIreland's World Cup qualification schedule for Changzhou in April throws them into a critical game against England in their first Pool A match. Ireland need to finish in the top five in the competition in order to qualify for the World Cup finals in Germany.
The win is needed because Ireland's final match is against Pakistan, a nation coach Dave Passmore's team have never beaten. The middle three pool matches are the ones Ireland believe they have a good chance of winning, or, at least the matches they must target as victories. Despite the raft of retirements since the European Championship Trophy in September, Ireland had an encouraging 2-2 draw on Tuesday and a 1-0 win against South Africa in Pretoria last night.
After the opener against England Ireland meet the robust Canadians before a day's break. Belgium, who Ireland know very well at this stage, are third up before Egypt and Pakistan finish off the series of Pool matches. Third or fourth place in the pool will keep Ireland in the running but it means they must win the first two cross-over games in order to seal fifth position overall.
Ireland will have played 12 international matches in the build-up to China and will be attending a Six Nations Tournament in Cairo in February and March, where they will face Egypt and Belgium.
New Zealand, France and Malaysia, who are in Pool B in China, are also included in the Cairo event and depending how Ireland perform in China, any of those three teams could be their opponents when the pool matches finish and the cross-over matches begin. The final series of preparatory matches are against France.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday - Leinster Senior League - Division One: Avoca v Glenanne, 1pm, Newpark; TRR v Fingal, tbc; Corinthians v Pembroke Wanderers, 1pm, Whitechurch Park; Railway Union v YMCA, 2pm, Park Avenue; Monkstown v Dublin University, 1.30, Rathdown. Division Two: Kilkenny v St James' Gate, 1pm, Kilkenny College; UCD v Naas, tbc; Skerries v Portrane, 1pm, Skerries; Suttonians v Clontarf, 12.0, Sutton Park School. Munster Senior League - Division One: Church of Ireland B v Church of Ireland A, 2pm, Garryduff; Belvedere A v Catholic Institute A, 12.0, Ballincollig.
Sunday - Neville Davin Cup: Kilkenny v North Kildare, 2pm, Scanlon Park; Clontarf v UCD, 3.30, Mount Temple. Munster Peard Cup: Catholic Institute A v Harlequins A, 12.30, Rosbrien.
