Revington seeks to build more depth

Ireland senior men’s coach Paul Revington has shaken up his approach to player development as he looks to strengthen the depth of his squad ahead of November’s World Cup qualification campaign in Argentina. Having overseen a hugely successful first eight months in charge, which included claiming three trophies from a possible four and regaining A Division status in Europe, the South African has named an enlarged 35-strong senior training panel. Revington explained: “We need to continually find a balance between holding onto our experienced players, building experience below these older players, and then creating a competitive environment that demands high standards from all concerned in our senior Ireland team.

“It is therefore important to balance the short-term objective of trying to qualify for our first World Cup appearance since 1990 with a long-term objective of building a base of players for the future.” To that end, he has also outlined a new approach to the Ireland A team, which is now exclusively comprised of players aged 16-21. This does not necessarily represent a return to the previously scrapped Ireland U21 format, which served as a stepping stone for those too old for age-grade hockey looking to make the step up to full international level. Rather, it will incorporate the best young talent in the country based on potential rather than age. Thirteen players have been named in the initial squad, with a further 19 identified as potential future selections. “It is by no means a closed squad,” said Revington. “This peripheral group communicates our intentions to reward consistent performers and keep searching for quality U21 players to develop for the Irish senior programme. It is my objective to increase the size of the Ireland A squad as we progress through the season.” Of particular interest to Munster hockey followers is the first-time inclusion of new Cork C of I signing Clinton Sweetnam in the updated Ireland A squad, alongside established Lisnagarvey midfielder Jason Lynch. There are a couple of notable selections in the 19 identified as future selections, too: C of I trio Peter Catchpole, Karl Lynch and Andrew Daunt have made the cut here, along with Cork Harlequins’ drag-flicking centre-back Dan Hobbs.

Ireland senior men’s training squad 2009/10: D Ames (Cookstown), K Black (Cookstown), P Blakeney (Three Rock Rovers), J Brennan (Glenanne), K Burns (Cork C of I), S Butler (Glenanne), C Cargo (Reading), P Caruth (Annadale), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), M Darling (KHC Leuven), A Giles (Pembroke Wanderers), P Gleghorne (Loughborough), R Gormley (Pembroke Wanderers), C Harte (Pembroke Wanderers), D Harte (GK, Pembroke Wanderers), A Herbert (Cork C of I), D Hobbs (Cork C of I), J Jackson (Loughborough), J Jermyn (Cork C of I) G Lennox (GK, Banbridge), T Lewis (Pembroke Wanderers), E Magee (Belgian Dragons), M Maguire (Three Rock Rovers), P Maguire (KHC Leuven), G McCabe (Belgian Dragons), B McCandless (Banbridge), A McConnell (Pembroke Wanderers), A Pritchard (Cork C of I), M Ruddle (GK, Cork C of I), G Shaw (Glenanne), A Sothern (Pembroke Wanderers), S Todd (Mossley), I Walker (GK, YMCA), G Watkins (Monkstown), M Watt (Belgian Dragons). Ireland A men’s squad 2009/10: D Carson (Corinthians), B Doherty (Corinthians), D Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown), K Good (Three Rock Rovers), S Hunter (Lisnagarvey), J Kane (Glenanne), S Loughrey (Pembroke Wanderers), J Lynch (Lisnagarvey), S O’Donoghue (Glenanne), D Robinson (YMCA), S Smyth (Cookstown), T Smyth (Cookstown), C Sweetnam (Cork C of I). Players identified for future Ireland A men’s squad selection: D Best (Cookstown), P Brown (Banbridge), P Catchpole (Cork C of I), S Cole (Monkstown), A Daunt (Cork C of I), S Dowds (Banbridge), S Forbes (Banbridge), D Hobbs (Cork Harlequins), K Lynch (Cork C of I), P MacDonnell (Lisnagarvey), R McCrea (Mossley), P Purcell (Annadale), W Robinson (Instonians), P Shanahan (Three Rock Rovers), I Sloan (Cookstown), S Sloan (Cookstown), C Speers (Monkstown), A Thom (GK, Cookstown), S West (GK, Three Rock Rovers).