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Losses rack up for Kookas, Hockeyroos in Belgium

Murray WenzelAAP
Tim Brand scores for the Kookaburras in their 2-1 loss to Argentina in the FIH Hockey Pro League. (AP PHOTO)
Camera IconTim Brand scores for the Kookaburras in their 2-1 loss to Argentina in the FIH Hockey Pro League. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AP

The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos have both suffered two losses in as many days in a rough start to their final pre-Olympic hit-out in Belgium.

Australia's women were thumped 5-0 by world No.2 Argentina while the men gave up an early lead to lose to Argentina's world No.7 team 2-1.

Those defeats followed losses to hosts Belgium in Antwerp's Pro League leg a day earlier.

Both sides are using the eight-game European swing to fine-tune preparations and settle on selections for the Paris Games in July-August.

Among the gold medal fancies, the Kookaburras had lost just one of eight Pro League games before arriving in Belgium, while also sweeping India 5-0 in a Perth series earlier this year.

"We'd rather have those losses now ... than a quarter-final in the Olympics or a must-win game that ends our campaign early," defender Corey Weyer said.

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"It's good to get it out of the way now, I suppose, as long as we learn from it, which we will."

Tim Brand's seventh-minute goal had Australia on track, but Argentina's skilful forwards eventually took their chances, goals in the 31st and 40th minutes enough to steal the win.

Argentina's women scored four goals inside the final 19 minutes in the blow-out defeat.

"We had patches where we were definitely on top," Penny Squibb, who brought up 50 Tests, said.

"They played well, but I think we also allowed them to play well.

"It's disappointing. But we'll go away and we'll review quite heavily and we'll come out in the next game stronger and look for a better result."

Both sides play Belgium and Argentina again before they shift to London for games against Germany and Great Britain.

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