Ireland face ideal tests on road to the Europeans

HOCKEY/KT Cup: Such is the quality of the opposition Ireland will face in the KT Cup in Seoul over the next eight days August's European Championships in Dublin suddenly have the look of a gentle run-out.

Riet Kuper's team opens the six-nation tournament at the Seongnan Hockey Stadium with games against three sides ranked in the world's top 10 - the hosts Korea (seventh), China (fourth) and England (eighth). After that they take on old adversaries India, ranked at 15 (two places below Ireland), before playing Malaysia, the outsiders of the six, ranked at 25th in the world.

The tournament finishes on Thursday of next week with play-offs for the final placings.

While the Irish Hockey Association hasn't always fully satisfied Kuper's requests for top-class opposition in top-class tournaments in the build-up to major events she can have no complaints this time around, with games against Germany and Holland, the Olympic and European champions respectively, still to come in a busy summer schedule.

So, by the time the team plays its opening game at Belfield in the European Championships - against France on August 14th - it will have had the best possible preparation, having tested itself against the cream of world hockey.

Barring injuries, the squad Kuper has taken to Korea should, largely, be the one chosen for the Europeans, with vice-captain Jenny Burke (143 caps) and captain Lynsey McVicker (135 caps) the most experienced of the 18.

Linda Caulfield and Jill Orbinson could yet finish the summer with 100 caps and more to their name, while Pembroke Wanderers goalkeeper Mary Goode, Hermes' Jill Hodgins and Randalstown's Clare Parkhill, the three uncapped players in the squad, will hope to make their senior bows.

Most significantly, Caitriona Carey of Hermes, back in the international fold, will finally win her 37th cap for in Korea, almost five years after she won her last.

But even the Kilkenny women's abilities might not be enough to help Ireland avoid defeat in their opening three games against hockey's elite.

KT CUP (at Seoul, Korea - local times) - Today: Ireland v Korea, 1.30. Tomorrow: Ireland v China, 2.30. Sunday: Ireland v England, 10.30. Monday: Ireland v India, 11.30. Wednesday: Ireland v Malaysia, 11.0. Thursday: play-offs for final placings.

IRISH SQUAD: L McVicker (capt), B McKeever, A Platt (all Ballymoney), S Beaney, J McDonough (both Belfast Harlequins), D Casey (Cork Church of Ireland), J Hodgins, F Connery, C Carey, L Caulfield, J Burke (all Hermes), N Symmons, L O'Neill (both Loreto), J Orbinson (Pegasus), M Goode (Pembroke Wanderers), C O'Brien (Railway Union), C Parkhill (Randalstown), E Cregan (Univ of Limerick).