Lukewarm welcome fuels Irish siege mentality

Conor Harte says elements are combining perfectly to rekindle the “no excuses” mantra in the Irish men’s team just in time for this weekend’s Olympic qualifiers in Vancouver.

Usually, the hockey spots to the Games are handed out in a tournament format with, as in 2016, five out of 10 entrants earning their place at the main event. For Tokyo, however, there is no such margin for error.