Share

SA men beat Dutch club

Cape Town - The South African men's hockey team beat top Dutch club Pinoke 5-1 at the Western Province Cricket Club here after leading 4-0 at half-time.

SA's goals came from Western Province strikers Lloyd Norris-Jones (2) and Ian Haley, as well as Wade Paton of KZN Coastal Raiders and Northern Blues' Nic Gonsalves.

Ward Grasveld got Pinoke's lone goal.

SA captain Austin Smith was reasonably satisfied with the team's performance.

"We moved the ball well in the first half, while in the second Pinoke came back strongly, although we had a few opportunities that brought good saves from their goalkeeper," Smith.

"Out forwards are connecting well and playing far better than at Champions Challenge or during the India series."

South Africa won the bronze medal at the Champions Challenge tournament in Randburg two months ago, while they went down 3-1 in a tight Test series against India in Delhi last month. In both events SA left a lot of goals on the table.

Smith anticipates a tougher ride come the second and final match against Pinoke that is scheduled for midday on Sunday, but first there is the Test series decider against world No 4 Great Britain that is scheduled for 18:00 on Saturday.

SA won the first Test 5-3 while GB came back to win the second encounter 3-1.

SA team manager, Martin van Staden, said a decision on the venue for the final matches against Great Britain and Pinoke would be made on Friday.

 
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE