Smith axes star names in Ireland shake-up

Some of Ireland’s most established international hockey players were left reeling yesterday after being dumped from Darren Smith’s squad ahead of August’s European championships.

New Zealander Smith, who took over in January, was always likely to put his own stamp on the squad, having run the rule over the country’s players during the Irish Hockey League and at a two-day trial last weekend which featured 43 players.

But few expected him to axe centurion defender Cliodhna Sargent plus the likes of Miriam Crowley, Sinead McCarthy and Aine Connery, each of whom have in excess of 50 caps.