Australia maul South Africa 9-2, prime Pool A and qualify straight for quarterfinals

Star ahead Blake Govers scored 4 occasions, together with from a penalty stroke, as title contenders Australia thrashed South Africa 9-2 to prime Pool A and straight qualify for the quarterfinals of the FIH Men’s World Cup right here on Friday.

Australia will face the winner of the crossover match between Malaysia and Spain within the quarterfinal match on January 24 in Bhubaneswar.

Govers struck within the fourth, fifteenth, nineteenth and twentieth minutes because the rampaging Australians led 7-1 at half time. His first and fourth strikes had been discipline objectives whereas the second was from a penalty nook and the third from the penalty spot.

Tom Craig (tenth), Jake Harvie (twenty second), Daniel Beale (twenty eighth), Jeremy Hayward (thirty second) and Tim Brand (forty seventh) had been the opposite Australian objective getters on the Birsa Munda Stadium.

Ntuli Nqobile (eighth) and Kok Tevin (58th) had been the scorers — each discipline objectives — for South Africa.

The Kookaburras slowed down a bit within the third and fourth quarters, simply scoring a objective every. The fourth quarter noticed each side scoring a objective every.

Five of the Australian objectives had been discipline efforts whereas three had been from the penalty corners. Australia earned eight PCs as towards 5 of the South Africans.

In one other Pool A match, Argentina and France scored a objective every within the ultimate minute to play out a 5-5 attract a dramatic contest.

Argentina completed second within the pool with 5 factors from three matches — one win and two attracts — whereas France ended at third with 4 factors — one win, one draw and one loss.

Argentina will play the third place workforce in Pool B of their crossover match on January 22 in Bhubaneswar whereas France will tackle the second place workforce in Pool B the following day.

France thought they’d received the match 5-4 after Victor Charlet scored within the ultimate minute from the penalty stroke however Argentina equalised after a couple of seconds via a penalty nook. Argentina earned 4 penalty corners in succession and scored from the final one to separate factors with France.

Charlet (thirty sixth, thirty eighth, forty eighth and sixtieth) struck 4 objectives for France with two coming from penalty strokes. His first and final had been from penalty strokes whereas the second and third had been from PCs. Tynevez Etienne scored the opposite objective for France within the eleventh minute.

For Argentina, who had performed out a 3-3 draw towards pool topper Australia, Nicolas Della Torre (thirty fourth, forty second and sixtieth) struck a hat-trick whereas Keenan Nicolas (third) and Martin Ferreiro (51st) had been the opposite objective scorers.

The Netherlands and England additionally booked direct quarterfinal berths after topping Pool C and Pool D respectively on Thursday.