Fine-tuning selection and tactics have been the key aspects worked on by South Africa during the ongoing Summer Series of hockey internationals in Cape Town, says men’s coach Fabian Gregory.
The national mentor believes that, despite hefty defeats against the Netherlands last week, there is much to be optimistic about, looking at long-term goals.
The 2022 Durban CommonwealthGames and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are on the to-do list, and the Proteas will definitely look to be medal contenders at the Durban showpiece in five years’ time.
The Summer Series has presented the selectors and the squad with the perfect opportunity to begin the preparations in earnest. SA hockey has their most important challenge ahead in June andJuly with the hosting of the World Hockey league semi-finals in Johannesburg.
Gregory said this week: “The two important areas that we are concentrating on are getting our selections right and tactical play.
“On selection, player combinations are extremely important and making sure that we have the players that can play to the system that we are looking to play.
“In the area of tactics, we have been trying to make sure that the players have adaptability. We have been concentrating on two specific presses in the two games thus far and experimenting with a few options.”
In the first encounter against the Dutch, the hosts were in the game most of the way, but two silly yellow cards at 3-2 cost them dearly and they eventually lost 5-2.
“The Dutch were simply sublime in the second game and we stood no chance,” said Gregory.
“SA has not played an international match for more than 10 months. The players were involved in the PHL tournament in September and it was a step in the right direction. The World Hockey League semi-finals in Johannesburg are a massive indication of the hockey revolution being advocated by the FIH.
“Our teams are in a building phase and there will be many rivers to cross,” added Gregory. “We have to invest in our youth and stick by them for the next two years and longer. We definitely have the skills to challenge any nation. Our showing at the U21 junior World Cup showed us that we can compete with the best.”
The Summer Series, meanwhile, has allowed two home players to record their 100th caps at top level.
Jonty Robinson will be playing in his 100th international on Sunday against the Netherlands, while in the women’s teams Lillian du Plessis clocked her 100th match against China on Thursday evening.
Robinson, a Wynberg Boys’ High old boy, debuted in March 2009 against Germany and has been a fixture in the SA team since then. He represented SA at the 2012 Beijing Olympics, at three consecutive Africa Cups and two consecutive World Cups. He has also had the distinction of captaining SA, in the 2015 series against Austria.
Robinson was part of a superb Wynberg Boys’ quartet including Rhett Halkett, Vaughn Erasmus and Lloyd Norris-Jones, all of whom have represented the national team..
Jonty currently plays and coaches for Holcombe Hockey club in
England.
Du Plessis made her senior debut as a 19-year-old at the Champions Challenge in Ireland in 2012 and since then has donned the green and gold at high-profile events such as the Hockey World Cup and Commonwealth Games. She first grabbed the national selectors’ attention as a Grade 12 learner at St Mary’s School, Waverley, where she was coached by the likes of hockey legend Ros Howell.
Sunday
Women
Belgium v Chile 2pm; SA v China 4pm
Men
SA v Netherlands 6pm
Monday
Women
Belgium v SA 6pm
Men
Belgium v SA 8pm