Stories from New Zealand
Our tour to New Zealand started with a bit of a bumpy ride. There were a few raised eyebrows as we boarded our flight from Christchurch to Dunedin as it was a small propeller plane and the girls are not good with small planes! Sitting beside me was fellow team mate and goalkeeper Rachel Imison and she seemed relaxed and chatty most of the flight until we began our descent and that's when she began to descend badly herself! It started to get very bumpy with the weather and she suddenly made a desperate grab for her air sick bag and then proceeded to fold it in half and clutch it tightly, rather than open it up in anticipation of an unwanted launch. Her explanation to my questioning look was that she did not want to make it obvious she was feeling unwell, and I replied, "Rach they will soon know you are feeling unwell when you throw up and you miss the bag as it is folded in half and you begin a tidal wave down the aisle of the plane! After sharing a laugh and promptly landing on the tarmac she regained some colour in her cheeks and thank god there was no need in the end for the air sick bag!
Match results from the New Zealand tour
We started the tour of the south island in cold Dunedin and it did not disappoint with the weather. Stepping off the plane in summer Hockeyroos clothing with flip flops on our feet was not pleasant when we experienced our first cold air blast.
We had two days of training and getting used to the hockey pitch before our first match against the New Zealand team. The girls looked sharp during training although adapting to the cold weather was taking a bit longer. I am not playing the first three matches as the team was originally selected whilst I was still recovering from my hamstring surgery, but Frank has since informed me that he will play me in the fourth and final test.
The first test was played at 2:30 and Dunedin had turned on the charm with a huge crowd all cheering loudly for the Blacksticks team, although I did hear a sole Australian voice giving the odd cheer, although it was quickly drowned out by the New Zealanders. The Blacksticks came out firing and played some very impressive hockey. They have been working hard on match structure which was very evident in the way they played. The Hockeyroos played well, but I think we made too many unforced turnovers and although we created some brilliant attacking opportunities we did not convert them to goals. The end result was 1-0 to New Zealand, a win they deserved and one I am sure will put the fire back in the Hockeyroos bellies for the next match. My player of the match for the Hockeyroos was Angie Lambert (nee Skirving) who is playing exceptional hockey at the moment and is a true leader on the field.
Match 2 against New Zealand
We travelled along the coast on a bus for an hour and a half to a town called Oamaru for the 2nd test. It was a small town with just over 100,000 people but we were made to feel very welcome in the town and you could feel the buzz throughout the town in anticipation of the match. We spent the morning of match day sampling coffee in the charming local cafes along the main strip, trying as best we could to keep warm. The match was scheduled for 6:30 in the evening and the girls were definitely pumped for the match and wanted to regain some pride with a win against the blacksticks. Sitting on the sidelines watching your team play is hard when you are injured, as you feel helpless. Now I know how it feels for a coach!
As the whistle for the start of the match sounded it was obvious the Hockeyroos were there to play some good hockey. They took it to the blacksticks with strength, tone and determination and before half time we were up by 2 goals. It was a very good first half of hockey from our girls and I honestly believe the blacksticks were a bit shocked at the change in our over all play from the first match. The second half was equally as good a performance and the Hockeyroos won the match 3-0. I was very proud of their performance and I must say a big congratulation to Suzie Faulkner on playing her 100th international match for Australia. A great honour for a truly great lady!
The next day we then travelled to Christchurch for out final 2 matches and we were lucky that Frank gave us a free day on Friday so we were able to explore the sights of Christchurch which for me meant going shopping and to catch a movie. You will be pleased to know when I began my shopping expedition I shopped for Jenno and I had bought him two shirts, a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans before I had even begun shopping for myself!!!!! I am a good girlfriend, or so I think! It would take me too long to write down the clothes I bought for myself so let me tell you about the movie I saw instead- 28 weeks later and it scared the pants off me! I went to the movies to watch the first one when it came out and although it was very scary I really enjoyed it, so I went to watch the sequel and it's even scarier than the first one. Also not recommended to watch by yourself as I soon found out!!!
