Ireland players in spotlight on two fronts across India and Chile

Friday’s FIH Pro League kicked off with defeat to India for Ireland men by 3-1 before a 4-0 reverse for Mark Tumilty’s squad across the second meeting on Saturday in Bhubaneswar.

India operate under the guidance of Craig Fulton, who spent over a decade in coaching positions with Ireland up to 2018.

Play in India marks the second stage of a FIH Pro League campaign Ireland opened last December in Argentina.

Ireland women’s FIH Nations Cup in Chile opens on Sunday (8pm, UK time).

Under new head coach Gareth Grundie, Ireland women will attempt to improve on the silver medal from Spain in 2024.

“I thought we made a lot of individual errors that cost us,” said Ireland men’s head coach Tumilty following the 4-0 reverse. “Our basics were technically a bit off today.

"But our second half was positive...in the last quarter the guys stood up man-to-man and there were positives.

"With teams playing deep zone in international hockey nowadays, it's difficult to break teams down.

"When you play against teams who mark space, it can be easier to get into their 23-metre line, but then there are difficulties finding spaces to attack them.

"There are fewer gaps and that's where individual skills are the key to getting the circle entries.

“Overall, I thought Ben Pasley was exceptional in the second half...for a guy of 20 years of age, up against some of the best midfielders in world hockey, I thought he was excellent.

"Ben Ryder on his first game for Ireland was very good as well.”

Next Ireland men meet Germany.

“Germany were the one team that caused us the most difficulties in last season's final block of the Pro League in London,” said Tumilty. “We look forward to the challenge of having to play both the Olympic silver and bronze medallists in this block of matches.

"The extra heat of daytime matches may be a factor as well that will need to be prepared for...it will be a different challenge to what India offered.

"Both teams play zonal and now we have a bit of experience playing against that type of defence.

"We need to make sure that we don't give up any chances or make individual errors."

Jeremy Duncan fired Ireland men into the lead on Friday over India.

“The first quarter was very pleasing...I thought the lads implemented a lot of the things we had been working on,” said Tumilty following that first fixture. “It was probably some of the best hockey we have played recently, which was a positive.

"Once they got their first goal we went a back into our shells...we struggled to play forward as much as we would have wished to.

"In the second half, yes, we had some opportunities, but you have to execute them.

"Decision-making at the highest level just needs to be better.

"We came here with objectives and we need to stick to those objectives.

"Better on the ball tonight than we were in Argentina? Yes.

"We showed for periods of that game that we can be good with the ball.

"We need to better with the ball for longer passages of play.

"It's a learning process we need to go through...we're definitely moving in the right direction.”

Fixtures from Monday are as follows: Monday, February 24 – Ireland (men) v Germany (9.30am, UK time); Tuesday, February 25 – Ireland (men) v Germany (9.30am, UK time), Ireland (women) v New Zealand (8pm, UK start); Thursday, February 27 – Ireland (women) v Korea (8pm, UK time).

IRELAND (MEN): Jaime Carr, Luke Roleston, Kyle Marshall, Peter McKibbin, Adam Walker, Nick Page, Fergus Gibson, Ben Ryder, Luke Witherow, Peter Brown, Jonny Lynch, Ben Pasley, Kevin O’Dea, Daragh Walsh, Matthew Nelson, Greg Williams, Jeremy Duncan, Ben Johnson, Louis Rowe, Ben Walker, Ben Nelson, Conor Empey.

IRELAND (WOMEN): Charlotte Beggs, Niamh Carey, Michelle Carey, Naomi Carroll, Ellen Curran, Christina Hamill, Sarah Hawkshaw, Emily Kealy, Sarah McAuley, Ayeisha McFerran, Hannah McLoughlin, Katie Mullan, Elizabeth Murphy, Elena Neill, Caoimhe Perdue, Mikayla Power, Sarah Torrans, Roisin Upton.