Pembroke Wanderers' Rudi Wortmann claims Trinity are the best coached team in the country and if that opinion is shared by the ILHU Council, Harold de Jong might have a better chance of succeeding Terry Gregg as national coach than he believes.
De Jong, who moved from Holland last summer to take over as Trinity coach, has applied for the senior Irish job and should his team follow last weekend's 3-2 victory over Muckross (the first league defeat for the Leinster champions in four years) with another shock win over Pegasus, in the second round of the Irish Senior Cup at Belfield tomorrow, his CV will make even more impressive reading. "I wouldn't count on me getting the job, but we will see what happens. It would be an honour to coach Ireland and an opportunity to introduce a few things here that we have learnt in Holland," he said. "There are some very good coaches here but someone from Holland would bring a different point of view, as well their experience and knowledge."
De Jong spent 18 years in the Dutch army, which included a spell in Bosnia, before becoming a full-time hockey coach four years ago. He has been involved in the game for most of his life, both as a player and coach, and has completed five levels of the Dutch Hockey Union's coaching courses. He has already decided to stay at least another year in Ireland, having secured coaching roles in six schools and four clubs, including Trinity.
Tomorrow's meeting with Pegasus will be Trinity's fourth match in seven days (they drew 0-0 with Pembroke Wanderers on Wednesday night) and De Jong admits he is concerned his players will be too tired to rise to the occasion. "I won't put any pressure on them - Pegasus are the favourites, only they have something to lose in this match. My players are very tired but I have just told them to go out and enjoy the match and not to have any fear." Belfield is also the venue for what is undoubtedly the tie of the second round, between the Cup holders Hermes and Ulster League champions Randalstown, one of six matches involving Leinster and Ulster teams.
Ulster sides have home advantage in the other four ties: Ards, who went top of the Ulster League last weekend after a 6-0 win over Coleraine, play Old Alexandra; Collegians host last season's beaten finalists Muckross at Olympia Leisure centre; Coleraine play Loreto at the University of Ulster, and Victorians meet Glenanne at Queen's.
UCC face the longest trip of the weekend when they travel north to take on Portadown.
