Higher quality opposition needed to raise standards

HOCKEY: As the Budweiser Tournament at Grange Road ignites the new domestic season this weekend, the Irish squad may well look towards the next 12 months and their run-in to the European Championships 2003. They might also consider where they will get enough quality matches before next year's challenge.

It has long been an issue at international level that the top players in Ireland play too few top-class games and arrive at international tournaments, such as the European Championships, struggling to sustain a high tempo for two weeks against the best sides.

Returning from the Champions Trophy in Cologne, where the top six sides in the world faced each other last weekend, Simon Filgas, coach of one of Ireland's top sides Pembroke, believes, now more than ever, that changes are necessary at domestic level to hike up the standard of hockey.

"Either Ireland need to get better and more frequent matches at international level or the clubs have to go abroad for the opposition," says the coach and former international.

"Ireland really needs a national league or more club championship-type tournaments. As it is now, we have to wait until the end of the season to get those tough matches. The top club sides have only a handful of good, competitive matches each season.

"Look at Cork Harlequins last season. They went abroad at Easter and then came back and won the Club Championship. Either the clubs do something on their own like Harlequins did or the Irish Hockey Association do something domestically."

As it is, the Irish schedule for next year has not been finalised, although, the squad will travel to Barcelona in January for the start of their build-up.

While the side deservedly won the European qualification tournament staged in Belfield during the summer, most of the opposition on view were very much second stream.

Not exactly Eurotrash, but not close to the level Ireland will face in Spain.

jwatterson@irish-times.ie