Hockey: British defend tactics against New Zealand Great Britain men's hockey coach Jason Lee has defended his team against accusations of "rough-house" tactics in the deadlocked five-test series against New Zealand.
A lacklustre New Zealand copped the backlash from a fired-up Great Britain, losing limply 3-1 in the second test on Sunday.
New Zealand won the previous day's opening test 2-1.
The third and fourth tests will be played at Mount Maunganui's Blake Park turf on Thursday and Saturday -- the first time international hockey has come to Tauranga, and the fifth in Hamilton on Sunday.
Great Britain came out firing last Sunday, bristling with aggression, although some of their tackling raised the hackles of long-serving New Zealand coach Kevin Towns.
Towns complained to umpires Simon Taylor (New Zealand) and Martin Madden (Britain) at halftime about Britain's rough-house tactics, particularly repeated tackling from behind.
But Lee was unrepentant about the forcefulness of his side's fightback.
"I wouldn't describe (Sunday's) game as overly rough. Elite sport is physical by nature -- it's part and parcel of the game -- but I didn't really notice anything untoward.
"Both teams have plenty of respect for one another and the guys are running and working as hard as they can on the field, so inevitably there will be contact.
"We're taking the attitude that we've got to get in and mix it, but none of it was malicious. At the elite end of hockey when you give people with pace some space they'll destroy you."
Like New Zealand, Great Britain are on a mission -- both sides are yet to qualify for next year's Athens Olympics.
They get their chance at the March 2-13 Olympics qualifying tournament in Madrid, although the eighth-ranked British are grouped separately from their 11th-ranked Kiwi counterparts.
Britain finished second in an international invitation tournament in Hong Kong en route to New Zealand, losing the final 4-2 to South Korea.
Lee said although draining on the players, their month-long tour was a key component towards success in Madrid.
"Like New Zealand, everything's focused towards doing well in March.
"Every day while we've been away we've either been training or conditioning.
"We've brought a squad of 22 with us but we've taken the attitude that everything we do is looking forward to March.
"No one will remember then what our results have been on this tour, and I'm sure the New Zealanders are the same to a certain extent."
Great Britain are loaded with experience, although there are no Welsh players in the team and just three Scots, with the rest from England.
While concerned with Britain's tactics, Towns was more disappointed with his side's effort in Sunday's second test.
"There was a decided lack of intensity," he said.
"We were hitting too many shallow angles and the delivery of the ball was poor. They were always ahead of us in getting to the ball.
"And when we did have the ball we missed chances," Towns said.
First-choice New Zealand 'keeper Paul Woolford seems set to play Thursday evening's third test in Tauranga, which should also see the return of Wellington's player-of-the-year Phil Burrows, who has missed the first two tests with a leg infection.