India win hockey series, but SA bank vital World Cup takeaways in Cape Town

A South African men’s hockey team hamstrung by the absence of some of their stars lost the final match of the three-match series against India 4-1 in Hartleyvale, Cape Town, but coach Devon van der Merwe feels they have plenty to build on as they ramp up preparations for next year’s World Cup.  

The world’s seventh-ranked team sealed the series 2-0 on Wednesday, having won the opening match in Stellenbosch and shared the spoils with the African champions in the drawn second match in Cape Town. 

With the defence of their Nkosi Cup title starting on Friday, the indoor men who featured in the first two Tests were not involved, so the Cassiem brothers, Dayaan and Mustapha, as well as veteran goalkeeper Cullin de Jager, watched the final match from the stands.

The home side had trailed 2-0 at half-time, and a Michael Horan scorcher from a penalty proved a mere consolation against the clinical Asian champions.  

“We were pretty outstanding in the first half. We created enough opportunities to get a couple of goals and we didn’t capitalise on that, and at this level these boys are going to show you what it’s about,” Van der Merwe said in his post-match interview. 

“We gave them two half-chances and we went two down at the break. We did well to claw it back slightly but they were always going to put us under immense pressure.”

The series was always more about building for next year’s showpiece in Begium and the Netherlands than about the results for a South African side fresh off their Africa Cup triumph in Egypt that secured their spot at the World Cup. Van der Merwe, the architect of that triumph, was especially proud of the effort from a number of young debutants in the squad.

“I’m so proud of the boys for what they put out over the three games, really being together, the progress that we’ve made … Even today, not having the squad that we’re used to having, a lot of new boys really put up their hands and we’re proud of that,” he said.

“We knew we’re going to absorb a lot of pressure and it’s been a big focus for us this week to work on our defence. I think the boys did really well with the time that we had, and I can’t ask for more from the boys. One or two moments we let ourselves down to let them in, but other than that the boys were pretty fantastic.”

Indoor hockey will now take centre stage with the SA men’s team chasing a hat-trick of  Nkosi Cup titles at Wynberg Military Base in Cape Town. The World Cup bronze medallists face New Zealand in Friday’s opening match.

“We continue to work. We’re back here in Cape Town in a month’s time, and we will have most of the squad but we’ll also bring in some new faces again,” Van der Merwe said. 

“Moving forward, a lot of the oversea-based players will go back into their leagues and so we look to get together in moments there with those guys and the local guys as well, and we will keep ourselves busy. The IPT (interprovincial tournament) moves forward early into the year, the first week in May, possibly, and we will look to firm things up thereafter.”