WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Ireland's World Cup team will attempt to inject some much-needed life into their campaign when they play the Ukraine this morning and either Russia or South Africa tomorrow. Mary Hannigan reports from Perth
Two wins would leave them with a respectable enough 13th place finish at this tournament, bearing in mind they came here as the 15th ranked team; two defeats would seal what has already been a chastening experience for everyone in Irish hockey.
The knives, inevitably, will be out for coach Riet Kuper at home, particularly amongst those who wondered why Irish hockey needed to appoint a foreign coach in the first place.
Should she be removed from her post, however, her successor, especially if he or she didn't attend this tournament, would quickly learn a sobering lesson: the bulk of the current crop of Irish senior players, no matter how big-hearted and dedicated most of them are, simply are not good enough at this level of hockey.
Even the most blinkered of supporters in Perth this past fortnight would have to admit to that.
While the likes of Japan and the Ukraine have made giant leaps forward, considering their relatively recent arrival at the top level of international hockey, and nations such as Scotland and the United States (who will both finish in the top 12 here) have "over-achieved" with largely average players, Ireland has, in contrast, been running to a standstill these past few years.
Yes, the level of funding has improved (even if sponsorship has not) and the quality of the team's preparations have been infinitely superior to bygone days, but those preparations still pale next to the majority of Ireland's opponents in Perth.
The United States' players, for example, received a basic $700-a-month to allow them leave their jobs and train full-time in Virginia in the three months before the World Cup - in much of the same period the Irish players were still combining jobs and weekend-only training, fitting in visits to the gym in their free time.
Their commitment was enormous, but they still came to Perth as one of the least prepared teams in the 16-nation line-up. That's how world hockey is these days.
It is, then, decision time for Irish hockey - does it throw in the towel and content itself with "division two" status in world hockey (cue a string of four nations tournaments at Belfield against Wales, France and Italy), or dig deep, be bold, harry potential sponsors, rather than politely requesting support, and make a bigger effort to produce a senior team that can beat the likes of Japan, the United States and Spain, rather than losing narrowly to them, almost every time it matters.
Long term, of course, as many have long since argued, it would make more sense to focus all energies, coaching resources and funding on developing the talents of, say, the under-16 squad so that their basic skills and technique would, at least, match their opponents' at international level, but if the senior team is to remain the "flagship" of Irish hockey there's no point in abandoning the cause now.
So far Kuper has refused to speak publicly about her future as senior coach, insisting on waiting until the end of the tournament, but the signs are that she wishes to remain in her post, at least until next September's European finals in Spain and, possibly, the Olympic Qualifier the following year in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, all thoughts are focused on today's meeting with the Ukraine, with Linda Caulfield, sorely missed against South Africa, likely to return at right back, replacing Pamela Magill, despite still suffering from an aching right hand, injured in the game against Japan. No other changes are expected.
WORLD CUP (at Perth, local times) - Play-offs - 1st-4th: Argentina v Australia, 6.05; Holland v China, 8.35. 5th-8th: England v Germany, 3.05; Korea v Spain, 3.45. 9th-12th: Japan v Scotland, 12.05; New Zealand v USA, 12.35. 13th-16th: South Africa v Russia, 9.05 a.m.; Ireland v Ukraine, 9.35 a.m.
