Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Efficient Germans give SA women a master-class
BISHOPS played host to the first women’s hockey Test between South Africa and Germany yesterday and it was the visitors who dictated throughout to win 5-1 (halftime 2-1).
SA, off the back of a 2-1 series win over Scotland last week earlier, played their sixth game in less than two weeks in the Private Property Summer Series and it showed; they lacked pace and were guilty of giving away possession far too easily. Call it a total systems failure from the women in green and gold. Against a quality outfit like Germany, you pay for it.
The hosts were on the back-foot for most of the 60 minutes and seldom threatened on attack, and when they had the odd sortie, there was little in the way of support runners to make it count.
The visitors converted three penalty corners and two field goals in a show of absolute dominance. First to score was Pia-Sophia Oldhafer in the seventh minute, a powerful strike from close range without pressure from the home side’s defenders left goalkeeper Nicole la Fleur with no chance. SA hit back from a penalty corner with hard-working midfielder Tanya Britz the scorer.
The Germans were moving the ball around from inside their quarter line and making yards upfield with little resistance, opening up opportunities for a crack at goal, but were denied on several occasions by La Fleur who used her pads to good effect and keep her side in the game.
But mounting pressure from the Germans set up a penalty corner and Julia Muller was on the mark with a clinical finish.
There were no further scores in the half, but the decent crowd would have felt there was more to come from the visiting team.
And more came as a further three goals were scored in the second half, two in the third chukka and one in the last. Oldhafer got her brace to make it 3-1 before Nike Lorenz and Eileen Hoffmann cashed in. SA hardly had a shot and seemed dead on their feet towards the end.
“Hard lessons were learned out there,” said SA coach Sheldon Rostron.
“We did okay in the first half, but then lapsed on discipline in our structures and the opposition made us pay for it. I also felt we lacked mental toughness and physicality at times and weren’t that good either in protecting our ball. Our attacks were isolated and lacked spark.
“That said, I have no doubt that we can bounce back in the second Test out in Stellenbosch this afternoon and level the series. The girls just need to lift their chins up and go out and execute the game plan like I know they can. Going to be a tough ask, but that’s the way it is.”