Ireland coach Fulton set for Pereira reunion

Ireland coach Craig Fulton will be taking on some familiar faces this afternoon as his men’s senior team play South Africa on day one of the London Cup.

Fulton was the assistant to Charlie Pereira with the world’s No 12 side until January of this year when the head coach resigned.

It created the opportunity for Irish hockey to come in for Fulton following the departure of Irish predecessor Andrew Meredith.

As such, he will have plenty of inside knowledge of the South African panel who could feature a number of players who have played in Dublin including Corinthian’s Jethro Eustice and Gowan Jones along with former Three Rock Rovers’ player Pierre de Voux.

Fulton’s panel is reduced to 18 players from last weekend, using 15 of the panel that claimed 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon over England in Belfield.

Alan Sothern, Eugene Magee and Stu Loughrey come into the panel with Peter Caruth, Bruce McCandless and Drew Carlisle the ones stepping back this time.

Ireland will play three round-robin games, taking on the South Africans before playing Scotland tomorrow and England on Saturday before playing a classification match on Sunday that will be televised by Sky Sports.

Ireland (Men, Investec 4 Nations, London)

Schedule (Olympic Park – London)

Today: Ireland vs South Africa, 5.15pm

Squad: D Harte (GK) (SV Kampong), D Fitzgerald (Monkstown), J Jackson (Reading), C Harte (Royal Club de Racing Bruxelles), P Gleghorne (Instonians), J Bell (Lisnagarvey), R Gormley (Krefeld), S Loughrey (Cannock), S O’Donoghue (Dragons), K Shimmins (UCD), M Robson (Annadale), E Magee (Banbridge), S Cole (Monkstown), M Watt (Surbiton), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), M Darling (Three Rock Rovers), M Elliott (Pembroke W), A Sothern (Pembroke W)

Ireland (Women, Electric Ireland 4 Nations (July 12-16)

N Daly (Holcombe HC), K Dillon (Railway Union), D Duke (UCD), N Evans (UCD), M Frazer (Holcombe), E Gray (Hermes), H Matthews (UCD), S Davis (Pembroke), A Meeke (Loreto), S McCay (Old Alex), Y O’Byrne (Cork Harlequins), A O’Flanagan (UCD), G Pinder (UCD), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), E Smyth (Railway Union), A Speers (Railway Union), C Watkins (Club De Campo), V Surgeoner (Pegasus)