Ireland's women's hockey team rounded off their build-up to the European Nations' Cup finals with two superbly accomplished victories over France at Belfield at the weekend, scoring seven goals and conceding none in the two games.
The men's squad, also tuning up for European action, gained two wins over the French as well, gaining 3-2 and 4-0 successes in their training games in Abbeville.
In Dublin, sweeper Arlene Thompson opened the scoring after 10 minutes in Saturday's match, converting her team's first short corner, before Claire McMahon set up Lynsey McVicker two minutes before the break to make it 2-0. Jenny Burke completed the tally in the 40th minute with a brilliantly taken goal, collecting Mary Logue's pass just inside the circle and hitting the ball on the turn, drilling it low in to the corner of the net. Ireland maintained their dominance over a French side also at the end of their preparations for Cologne in yesterday's game, securing their victory with four first-half goals from Rachel Kohler, Mary Logue and two from Claire McMahon.
It was a thoroughly satisfying weekend for coach Riet Kuper who could claim with some conviction that the side has vastly improved over the past year.
"We are getting better with every game and I am confident that if we move the ball around like we can we can trouble any team we play in Germany," she said. Kuper's conversion of Linda Caulfield from a midfielder to a right back has paid off handsomely - the Trinity player is already fulfilling all the promise she showed as one of the country's outstanding schoolgirls. Thompson, too, is in excellent form while up front McMahon has become a virtual goal machine in recent weeks, aided by Burke and McVicker who look to be growing in confidence with every game.
IRELAND: T Browne, L Caulfield, A Thompson, D Sixsmith, P Magill, M Logue (capt), S Kelleher, R Kohler, C McMahon, J Burke, K Mills. Subs: K Humphries, J Orbinson, K O'Brien, L McVicker.
FRANCE: V Verte, S Boccara, S Remoue, C Lafury, M Lazennec, G Verrier, D Altayrac, S Gomig, L Peyrelongue (capt), C Delloye, P Bergere. Subs: S Bretonniere, A Martin, V Delloye, A Noel.
Umpires: M Power and Y Lanzas.
Given that France provide the opening opposition in the men's Nations Cup in Padova on September 1st, it was an encouraging weekend for Ireland, though optimism must be guarded, particularly as the French played impressively in a recent tournament in Italy.
A penalty stroke converted by Robbie Taylor for a foul on Colin Hanna in the opening exchanges left Ireland in front at the interval after an evenly contested first half yesterday.
Stephen Butler sent Lee Tumilty through to increase the lead with a diving connection early in the second half and two more goals within five minutes left Ireland in control. Ivan Steen made it 3-0, scrambling the ball over the line, and Errol Lutton completed the tally direct from a short corner. France were more competitive on Saturday, scoring twice through their most accomplished player Frank Soyez but Ireland finished on top with strikes by Paddy Brown (2) and Steen.
The Irish squad, who started off with a 2-1 win over the French under-21s on Friday, continue their 10-day Continental training trip in meeting Belgium's juniors on Wednesday, before playing twice against the Belgian senior side in Brussels next weekend. This will be a sharp test for John Clarke's charges as Belgium finished fourth in the last European Championship in Dublin in 1995, when Ireland gained fifth place.
