Coach Smells a Hint of Victory

The Australian and South African teams (pictured here at the Randburg Hockey Stadium on Wednesday evening prior to the first test) will line up for a final time this afternoon at the same venue, each team in search of a SPAR Test Series win. Picture: Reg Caldecott

The
SPAR South African women’s national hockey team take on Australia in a series-clinching final of the 3
Test SPAR Challenge Series in Randburg this afternoon, after SA beat their
underdog status to record a come-from-behind 2-1 win on Wednesday, only for Australia to
counter with a 1-0 win on Friday evening.

An injury to Australia’s
Nikki Hudson and the unavailability of their key defender Nicole Arrold have
presented to the home side the opportunity to record a first-ever series win
against Australia, but national coach Jenny King isn’t about to underestimate
the opposition.

"They have got
Halliday," King told gsport on Saturday, "Who is doing a sterling job. She came
away with Man of the Match in that central defense position, so that’s the one
thing about Australia,
they might not have their two top players playing, but the people who’re
filling their places are not far off."

But coach King
is confident after her team’s strong second-half showing, in their loss to Australia on
Friday. "I thought the team played the best hockey they had of the game, so a
little bit disappointing that we didn’t capitalise on that domination, but I
think the girls are confident, I’m very confident as a coach, and I’ve got a
sneaky suspicion that we may just win today.

After a first
half under continual attack, King used the half-time break to urge her team to
turn the pressure onto the visitors. "What we did is we changed our defensive
tactic in the mid-field, and we decided on a higher defense, and a much tougher
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Commenting on Friday’s
4-2 penalty count in favour of Australia,
King indicated her pleasure with the team’s performance, "It’s always
disappointing to concede short corners, but I think particularly in the first
half where you had eleven circle entries against us, we did well to keep it to
four.

"We’re concentrating
on the second half, where we only had three circle entries in thirty-five
minutes. We, I think, should have created more for ourselves, and quite
frankly, we were unlucky not to score on both of them, so I just feel we’re a
little bit on top, and I’d like to see this team play through now. We’ve set
ourselves up for it, and we’re poised to do it."

King said she
is unlikely to change her tactics for the final game, despite the rich rewards
on offer, but that the team was focussing on finishing better: "We’re still
going to be defense-first, because I think that’s been effective.

"We’re going
to [play] a much higher defense in the mid-field, a more aggressive defense,
and where we need to be better is once we start getting closer to their circle,
our position passes have to be a little more spot-on to capitalise on the
opposition."

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