With the Rabobank Hockey World Cup just three months away, players at the Hero Hockey India League are getting some great match-sharpening practice as the month-long hockey jamboree marches towards its final stages. Coach Cedric D'Souza will be delighted with the performances to date of the Delhi Waveriders as they sit top of the League after eight matches. But the former national coach of the India team will be looking over his shoulder as both the Jaypee Punjab Warriors and the Ranchi Rhinos have two games in hand. Both teams will fancy their chances of catching the pre-tournament favourites before the end of the pool matches.
Certainly, coach Barry Dancer will expect Jaypee Punjab Warriors to gain maximum points over their next opponents, the Kalinga Lancers. Terry Walsh's Lancers currently sit in fifth position but the coach was in bullish form when he spoke of the need to 'prioritise goal scoring' and to 'stop them scoring easy goals.'
With Sandeep Singh showing his ability from penalty corner situations with five goals to his name so far in the tournament, Kalinga Lancers will be at pains to protect their circle and reduce any set-piece scoring opportunities in the match, which takes place on Tuesday 11 February in Mohali.
On Wednesday 12 February, Ranchi Rhinos will be looking forwards to their encounter with the Delhi Waveriders, although the table-toppers do have home advantage. The Waveriders are not invincible however; Jaypee Punjab Warriors beat them 3-1 earlier in the tournament and the Ranchi Riders themselves defeated them in a tense 1-0 encounter, with Ashley Jackson scoring the only goal.
Should either the Warriors or the Rhinos fail to win, then the team currently in fourth position, the Uttar Pradesh Warriors could leap frog them both. Coach Roel Oltmann's team play the Lancers on Thursday, and a win would leave them nicely placed in second if results go their way. Bottom-placed Dabur Mumbai Magicians will have benefited from a five-day rest, although they then have back-to-back fixtures against Delhi Waveriders and Kalinga Lancers. After their previous match, which they lost narrowly 1-0 to the Rhinos, captain GlennTurner said: "Going forward, we need to develop more momentum and learn from our errors."
With seven more days of pool matches to play, the all-important final placings are still wide open. The semi-finals and finals take place on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 February in Ranchi.
