Difficult tests for Ireland

DAVE PASSMORE, the Ireland senior men’s hockey coach, is expecting a testing time in this weekend’s Tri-Nations tournament at the water-based pitch in Garryduff.

Passmore’s side face Italy tonight (8pm) and Canada on Sunday (2pm) as the hosts prepare for the European Nations Trophy tournament in Rome in September.

Ireland drew 3-3 with the Italians in a midweek match in Dublin and Passmore expects two tougher tests over the next 48 hours.

“The Italians are very tactically astute and they will study their opposition very closely, to the point where they can attack your weaknesses,” said the new coach.

“The Italians and the Spanish traditionally play a very football-like style of hockey and we will be working on various patterns to best cope with that.

“These are very important games,” continued Passmore. “The three teams involved have very different styles and the Canadians, with their ice hockey background are very aggressive and very difficult to play against. They beat England last weekend and will be very buoyed by that.

“The Italians, on the other hand, will be trying to put the frighteners on us before Rome, so they won’t be taking it easy either.

“But, from our point of view, we’ll be playing an international in Cork for the first time and there is a big Munster representation on the squad. Those guys will want to make an impression in front of their own supporters.

“We want to show that we have the physical, tactical and technical game to cope with the best international hockey teams out there and that’s our aim this weekend,” said the coach.

“We will not have our strongest possible squad playing in Garryduff this weekend for various reasons, but we will be putting out two very strong teams for these two games and we want to see results from them.”