Bhubaneswar: Like France, the Ireland men’s hockey team is also participating in the World Cup after a long gap of 28 long years and they hope to put up a creditable show under new coach Alexander Cox, feels forward Eugene Magee.
Cox replaced Craig Fulton as coach in August and had his first major assignment was the Four Nations Tournament in Spain, where the team finished third with two wins from five games. Despite that, Eugene feels that the positivity that Cox brings in is beneficial for the team.
“Every coach has his own style. What Alexander Cox brings in is very refreshing. He is very positive and straightforward and I think that’s beneficial for us,” Eugene said after Ireland’s arrival in the city Sunday afternoon.
This will be Ireland’s third World Cup appearance. When asked about the preparations, Eugene informed, “Our preparations have been decent. The new coaching setup is doing well. We also have some excellent youngsters too. We have played some really good teams before coming here and I believe we are in good form coming into the tournament.”
Commenting on the tournament favourites, Eugene added, “Australia are the strongest in our group and maybe in the tournament, so as England. We don’t know much about China as they are new to us.”