Australia is officially the best team in men’s hockey again after the Kookaburras thrashed long-time rivals the Netherlands 6-1 in the final of the World Cup in The Hauge today.
The result capped a remarkable tournament for the Kookaburras, who scored 30 goals and only conceded three on their way to the trophy.
Despite having the home-town support, the Dutch were no match for the Kookaburras, who outclassed their opponents in every facet of the game. Chris Ciriello blasted in a hat-trick for Australia, while Kieran Govers, Jamie Dwyer and Glenn Turner also made the score sheet.
Even though his side conceded first, Kookaburras captain Mark Knowles said there was no temptation to panic. “For mine, being a leader in this team is about encouraging and getting the best out of my teammates,” he told AAP. “Today we went pretty close to that, I reckon. It was a slight hiccup to go one-nil down, but at no stage did I feel that the game was away or that we couldn’t win.”
Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth said his team deserved its emphatic victory. “I think we play the best hockey in the world,” he said. “We play a brand of hockey which is expansive, creative and quick. We have the best defence here by a long way. We conceded three goals, the next team maybe eight or nine. And we scored 15 more goals than anyone else.”
Dwyer, arguably Australia’s greatest ever hockey player, ranked the win higher than the Kookaburras’ 2010 World Cup triumph. “To win a World Cup 6-1 is incredible,” he said. “It’s unheard of.”
