SINCE qualifying for the finals of the respective World Cups the form of Scotland's footballers, cricketers and women's hockey players has gone into decline. The footballers recently found Finland a hot handfult, the cricketers have been unable to get the better of English County sides while the hockey girls have just ended a four-match losing sequence by beating Ireland 2-1.
There will be few enthusiasts who will be lulled into a false sense of expectancy, but that could change for Scotland's hockey team when they take on Argentina today at 4.30 at Cramond and then at the same venue tomorrow at 12.30. Two victories would have them believing they could improve upon their ninth place in the world rankings.
Argentina were beaten finalists four years ago in the World Cup in Dublin but while they have been in decline over the past four years they are still ranked two places above Scotland.
On the form Scotland projected last week against an average Irish side, a victory or a draw would be in the realms of fantasy. Still, there are grounds for optimism. Diane Renilson, one of their vice-captains, is on the way to recovery following a pelvic injury. She said she was: ''still restricted in some ways but I am moving much easier.''
The decline in the form of the Scottish team can be traced back to Renilson's injury at the training camp in San Diego last January. While the Scottish captain Pauline Robertson is the powerhouse in midfield, Renilson provides the silky touches which can prise open defences.
Renilson said: ''They are a quality side and they will force us to lift our game. If you cast your mind back to the World Cup qualifying tournament in Harare, the bigger the challenge we faced the better we played.''
Argentina will definitely put that theory to the test. Centre forward Vanina Oneto and penalty corner expert Sofia MacKenzie are two players of world class. The most remarkable player in the side, which includes seven of the team which contested the 1994 World Cup, is Laura Mulhall who is the oldest goalkeeper presently competing in world hockey. She has been out of the sport for a number of years but took it up again this season and at the age of 40 will win her 101st cap this afternoon.
Meanwhile, the women's club Royal High Gymnasts, and the men's side MIM, disbanded at their annual general meetings and then formed a new family club of MIM Edinburgh Royal High Gymnasts Hockey Club. This is the way forward for hockey by having strong joint clubs as more and more of the women's teams are falling by the wayside.
Andrew Scoular, the former Scotland international, is first president of the new club and his men's side will be involved in the match of the day when they take on Grange in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup at Cramond 2.30.
The teams have beaten each other this season and both are confident they will get the verdict. MIM's Keith Joss is encouraged by their recent 3-2 success but is equally enthusiastic about the fact that ''we are playing a lot better over the past few weeks than any time this season.''
Colin Pretty, the Grange coach, who guided his team to a 4-2 triumph in the autumn, feels ''on our game we can beat anyone''.
Western Grasshopper who are going for their first league and cup double could home in on another big score at Inverleith, Mimtec Wanderers should rule in the Tayside derby match against Menzieshill while in the clash between Clydebank and Hazlehead the latter should get the verdict to maintain their unbeaten run in the second half of the season.
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