The annual Grove Menzieshill indoor tournament is usually used as a precursor to the second half of the first division championship, but this weekend it has international implications, both Scotland men`s and women`s coaches will use the Tayside event for their final build-up to the European Nations Championships 11 over the next couple of weeks.
Preparations have been sparse for the indoor Europeans, so men`s coach Derek Forsyth will welcome some final match practice against league champions Inverleith, third placed Dundee Wanderers and hosts Menzieshill, 19 times winner of the Scottish title.
"We will be using the tournament to look at improving in one or two areas we identified at the recent visit to Belgium, and again these matches will allow us to further experiment with various player combinations leading into the Europeans," said Forsyth.
Although the Scots came fourth in the recent Belgian tournament Forsyth maintained that his charges showed significant improvement throughout, and positive results in Dundee will give credibility to his optimism.
Scotland women`s European preparation is even more limited, they will play their first competitive match today against a Western-Wildcats combine. That will be followed by tomorrow`s encounters with champions Dundee Wanderers and then Grove, and that is all before Gordon Shepherd`s squad take on Switzerland, Lithuania and Croatia in Cambrai in two weeks time.
"The Menzieshill tournament will give us the opportunity to play games before the Euros and try out a few things to see what will work and what we need to improve on," said Shepherd.
It will also provide court time to Scotland new caps Heather Howie, Charlotte Watson, Amy Costello and goalkeeper Jayne Mclaughlin so that they can get up to speed with the higher level of indoor hockey.
This weekend`s event will also give Inverleith (men) and Dundee Wanderers (women) additional match practice before their respective European Club Champions Trophy in February.
But Inverleith will be short of five key players, Olympian Stephen Dick and set piece expert Dan Coultas, along with youngsters Patrick Christie, Gordon Amour and Jamie Wong are missing, they will turn out in Scotland colours.
"The tournament will give us a chance to play a few more players and provide much needed match time after the Christmas break," said Stuart Neave, Inverleith`s coach.
Menzieshill have only domestic aspirations in their own tournament, coach Billy McPherson is desperate to regain the first division crown for the first time in two years.
"It is an important part of our preparation for the second half of the season, it will allow us to try out some of our young players who are trying to break into the squad, and strong opposition is exactly what we need after the Christmas break," said McPherson.
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