N.Z. hockey side winds up preparations with fine win

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 26

N.Z. hockey side winds up preparations with fine win

NZPA Perth New Zealand wound up its preparations for the inaugural Esanda world hockey tournament with a 5-2 win over France in a friendly match yesterday. The tournament starts in Perth today, but New Zealand, which is drawn in Pool 81, has its first game on Saturday when it meets Great Britain. “This morning’s result was very pleasing and a nice way to finish off the pre-tournament games,” said New Zealand’s manager, Bruce Turner, yesterday. “We scored first but then

ii France banged in two quick: goals and the fightback; > made the result all the more;. , satisfying.” I “It was a steady first half and then the boys came 1 1 alive and looked very good,” i he said. Mr Turner said he found 1 the new Astroturf stadium I • very good except that it was I slippery yesterday after ' solid rain, and the fact that • > a ball hit for any length I takes a definite curve. 1 '■ “It takes a bit of getting used to but other than that t it is the perfect playing sur- , /face.” ,| New Zealand, the reigning; iOlympic champion is look-; 1 p ing to this tournament to re-

! gain some of the prestige it I has lost since the victory in I Montreal. j After a steady rebuilding programme, Mr Turner is confident that this is the tournament that will prove to the world that Montreal was not just a flash in the pan. “This is the perfect lead-! up to the Moscow Olympics ■ and the results here will prove very important in the future,” Mr Turner said. Surprisingly, Mr Turner and the New Zealand team rate Great Britain as the ! team to keep them out of the final four. “If we are to reach the!

11 semi-finals we must beat tGreat Britain on Saturday — lit is as simple as that.” ij “While nobody can deny > that Pakistan is the team to ’ beat it is Great Britain that - can keep us out of the top I four so we must beat them ' and worry about Pakistan j when we come to them,” -Mr (Turner said. : The reasoning behind the . New Zealand outlook is that while it should ■ beat Malaysia and Kenya, it can not rely on those teams to beat i Great Britain — leaving . New Zealand with the lux- ■ ury of only one loss, in the (match against Pakistan, if it i lis to claim one of the two I top spbts in Pool B.