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Southerns hold all the cards in inter-provincial By Neale EmslieSOUTHERN Gauteng’s proud record in South African hockey will come under intense scrutiny when the Spar women’s interprovincial week begins at the MTN astroturf at the PE Technikon next Monday. They have won the title for the last eight years, and nine overall since the unification of SA hockey, and it’s a run of success they’ll be keen to extend next week. But the new strength-versus-strength format will leave them no leeway for any errors and they can expect a tough onslaught as their rivals strive to knock them off the top. Southern Gauteng have always been a major force in SA hockey, but the modern trend of many leading players to base themselves in Johannesburg has strengthened their hand for the interprovincial tournaments. So it will take a major effort from the other A pool teams – WP, KwaZulu Natal, North West, Northerns and Natal Midlands – to unseat them as champions. The top two at the end of the round-robin phase on the Friday will contest the final on Saturday, August 30. WP, perhaps, have the best chance to end Southerns’ dominance. They are the only other province to have won the interprovincial since unification in 1992, taking the title that year, 1993 and 1995. National coach Ros Howell regards the inter-provincial as an important event on the SA calendar. “It’s the only time the very best players in the country can get together and compete at the very highest level”, she said. “It’s an opportunity for the selectors to see the top players in action. ” South Africa’s top goal-scorer, Pietie Coetzee, will not be playing in the tournament, after being injured in the recent series against Scotland, which South Africa won 3-0. Howell said it would be interesting to see how Southern Gauteng would adjust to playing without her, although she expected the champions to dominate the tournament once again. “It would be surprising if Southern Gauteng didn’t dominate,” she said. “Johannesburg is the centre of hockey, with by far the largest number of registered players in the country. I think it’s good for the national team, because the more a team plays together, the better they will be. “But you can never rule Western Province out – they are always capable of causing an upset.” All the matches will be played at Technikon. Six games will be played each day, with the first match starting at 8.30am and the last at 6pm.
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