Australia might want to re-group following its complete 64-50 defeat to a formidable New Zealand line-up within the first Constellation Cup Check in Wellington.
The Silver Ferns posted their highest rating in common time in opposition to the Diamonds to assert a 1-0 sequence lead on Sunday, having taken management of the opening Check throughout a dominant second quarter.
The victory was a transparent assertion from the New Zealanders in per week the place they have been criticised for an ongoing dip in kind that has seen them to drop from world quantity two to a few on the worldwide netball rankings.
After main 17-16 on the first break, the Silver Ferns poured on the stress within the second time period to ascertain a 34-25 lead by half-time.
The Diamonds outscored their opponents 15-13 within the third quarter however the world champions nonetheless had a mountain to climb, trailing 47-40 forward of the ultimate time period.
The Silver Ferns confirmed no indicators of faltering when in sight of full-time, including to their lead as they accomplished a dominant efficiency.
Australia’s Sophie Garbin (centre) discovered herself beneath defensive stress from New Zealand. (Getty Pictures: Hagan Hopkins)
Objective shooter Grace Nweke was very good for the Silver Ferns, touchdown 50 makes an attempt, whereas Ameliaranne Ekenasio added a useful 14 targets to see each gamers end with 94 per cent accuracy.
Nweke was lauded for her efficiency as she pushed her physique to its absolute limits, leaping and stretching for the ball all through the sport.
Midcourter Maddy Gordon was named participant of the match for her onerous work punching up the courtroom earlier than feeding possession with pure intuition, excessive and lengthy to Nweke.
Australia head coach Stacey Marinkovich made 15 substitutions as she tried to seek out the correct line-up to remain within the struggle.
However the Diamonds struggled to hyperlink in assault and shut down Nweke in defence.
It marks the workforce’s seventh straight loss on New Zealand soil.
“We simply weren’t on tune tonight,” Marinkovich mentioned in a post-match media convention.
“A loss would not sit properly. There’s heaps to be taught from this expertise and we have to put our heads down. We will have to return out onerous within the subsequent one.
“You have to take advantage of the alternatives and we let a pair slip.”
The second of the 4 Constellation Cup Exams will likely be performed in Auckland on Wednesday.
The third and fourth Exams will likely be contested in Perth (October 27) and Melbourne (October 30).
Brodie Roberts (proper) shoots for objective throughout Australia’s win over New Zealand within the males’s Check. (Getty Pictures: Hagen Hopkins)
Earlier, Australia convincingly defeated New Zealand 84-34 within the first males’s Check.
The Kelpies had the better share of possession (56 per cent) and by no means seemed like being challenged by the outclassed Web Blacks.
Australia’s Jerome Gillbard was named Participant of the Match, scoring 23 targets at 89 per cent accuracy in his half-hour on courtroom.
Along with objective assault Brodie Roberts, the pair laid the platform for a robust win.
The 2 groups will meet once more in Auckland for an additional double header alongside the ladies’s on Wednesday.
Look again at how the motion unfolded in our reside weblog.
Key Occasions
That is it from us!
Properly, what an entertaining begin to the 2024 Constellation Cup that was. Once more, properly performed to New Zealand on pulling off such an enormous upset within the opening sport and we sit up for seeing what they create to the courtroom in three days’ time in Auckland for Recreation 2.
The Kelpies and Web Blacks can even play Recreation 2 of the Trans-Tasman Cup on Wednesday. We’ll be reside running a blog each video games, so make sure that to verify again on the ABC Sport web page for extra evaluation.
Large turnaround for NZ
What occurred to the silver ferns .,this isn’t the identical workforce that misplaced to England 12 days in the past, We glance hopeless in opposition to England, simply insane outcome .. I cap my hat to the women I had Australia by 6
– Naki pete
Agree with you! I did watch the Taini Jamison sequence and the primary sport was definitely aggressive, however the Silver Ferns appears to be buzzing alongside at one other stage now. Possibly enjoying these sequence back-to-back has helped them acquire momentum? Whereas the Aussies had a break after England flew to New Zealand. I do suppose although that the Silver Ferns have been merely fired up after everybody discussing their unhealthy kind and drop within the World Rankings. It felt like they’d an actual level to show!
How a lot did Briony Akle influence the outcome?
One thing we’ve not mentioned but is the presence of Briony Akle within the Silver Ferns camp. The 2-time NSW Swifts premiership successful head coach was appointed as their assistant coach beneath Noeline Taurua for this Constellation Cup.
Within the Tremendous Netball setting she works with Sarah Klau and Paige Hadley every day. And Taurua spent a few weeks with the Swifts through the home season working as an assistant beneath Akle.
With out making an attempt to assert New Zealand’s success tonight was as a result of an Australian, it will have been attention-grabbing to be a fly on the wall through the Silver Ferns prep and what insights Akle needed to share with the workforce! And the way a lot did Noeline be taught from her time spent within the Tremendous Netball set-up?
Full-time statistics
Not a lot totally different in these stats, apart from New Zealand getting extra hand to ball defensively and Australia turning it over with six extra turnovers.
Once more, not a heap totally different right here. It most likely reveals the extent of depth and competitiveness seen on this sport. New Zealand have been slick in assault, whereas the Diamonds made a spread of errors – however for probably the most half, have been nonetheless enjoying at an okay commonplace.
Maddy Gordon named POTM
Properly, she had a stellar sport and Gordon completely deserves her Participant of the Match award in Recreation 1 of the Constellation Cup for her 29 feeds, 26 objective assists, one intercept, two pickups and eight second-phase receives. Did a mountain of labor!
A file victory
Oh wow, it seems the Silver Ferns’ 64 objective tally marks their highest rating over the Diamonds ever in common time. Properly performed! They’d loads of critics main into this sequence. Now it feels just like the sky is the restrict forward of Recreation 2 in Auckland on Wednesday.
Silver Ferns make a press release
The Ferns are an important workforce. Properly performed to them.
Properly performed to you, Brittany to your bangin running a blog 😀– Natty
Thanks for following alongside Natty! It is truthful to say the kiwi aspect have made a press release after that unhealthy information through the week, seeing them slip from second to 3rd on the planet rankings.
They have been clearly fired up from the very first whistle!
If they’ll string a few victories collectively in opposition to the Diamonds within the Constellation Cup, they may rapidly transfer again as much as second rank … Relying on the ends in the upcoming England vs Jamaican sequence.
FT: 64-50 New Zealand win
We did not count on that! Properly performed to the Silver Ferns. A beautiful workforce effort. What a option to begin the sequence. The Diamonds hoodoo within the land of the lengthy white cloud continues. They’ve now misplaced their previous seven matches in New Zealand.
First adjustments for New Zealand
With simply two minutes left within the sport, Noeline Taurua has made her first substitution. Australian-born midcourter and former Netball Phrase Youth Cup participant, Claire O’Brien takes the courtroom for the very first time in opposition to her previous teammates.
O’Brien by no means fairly reached the Diamonds set-up throughout her time within the Australian program however she did play for each the Swifts and Giants in Tremendous Netball earlier than shifting throughout the ditch to play within the New Zealand Premiership.
With two Māori dad and mom, O’Brien was in a position to get her citizenship and be handled as a home participant relatively than an import. A couple of weeks in the past, she debuted for the Silver Ferns in opposition to England. It is a proud second for her household.
That is New Zealands to lose
Three minutes left within the sport and Dwyer is named for an offensive contact because the Wellington crowd soaks up this win. Possibly Austin ought to have come again on after the Dwyer breaking name. Usually a spell on the bench can do wonders for a participant, exhibiting them what they have been doing mistaken and the place they’ll make an influence. Austin would most likely experience that problem.
SCORE: 60-49 New Zealand’s means
Aryang returns
Marinkovich has observed time is ticking away and has swiftly made a swap in wing defence to deliver Aryang on and Moloney off. Aryang is a participant that likes to drift off the physique of her opponent, has nice closing velocity and likes to hunt the ball relatively than the tight one on one defence Moloney presents.
Breaking name
Sophie Dwyer is named for breaking and Paige Hadley seems to be annoyed! She’s not lengthy crept again on the courtroom to return to her beginning centre place. It is not what the Diamonds are after coming into the ultimate seven minutes of this sport.
Heffernan flies excessive!
Good intercept from Kate Heffernan, she pinched it proper from beneath Kate Moloney’s nostril. Large second off the Australian centre cross.
It is getting bodily!
Bruce and Nweke each leaped into the air to try to catch a excessive feed, however their arms acquired tangled. As Nweke acquired extra grasp time and took maintain of the ball, she introduced her arms down and related with Bruce. However there was no malice. Bruce clutched at her brow and the umpire referred to as an offensive contact, gifting the Aussie objective keeper possession. However the replay seems to be as if Nweke did not join with onerous drive or anyplace close to the spot Bruce was clutching. Most likely the mistaken name.
Ultimate quarter-hour
No adjustments for both workforce heading into this fourth quarter. The Diamonds have performed a very good job at slowing down the Silver Ferns first centre cross. It took them virtually a full minute to attain.
In the meantime, Maddy Gordon is clutching at her chin after Kate Moloney unintentionally clipped her on the face as she contested the ball on the sting of the circle.
SCORE: 48-40 New Zealand’s means
3/4T: 47-40 New Zealand’s means
The Silver Ferns have led at each break of this sport and take a seven-goal lead into three-quarter time. Each New Zealand participant has been immense, whereas it feels just like the Diamonds are a bit shook. They only cannot get their line-up proper. The Australians received that quarter, 15-13 however they are going to want an even bigger struggle in these final quarter-hour.
Klau FINALLY enters the sport
Sarah Klau is injected with two and a half minutes left on this third quarter. Is it too late although? The Diamonds have been up by three for the quarter earlier than New Zealand fought again to stage it and take us again to the nine-goal margin we noticed at half-time.
Klau can be donning the GD bib, when her influence may actually be felt at objective keeper. There should be a motive Marinkovich is persisting with Bruce. Maybe quick monitoring her return to health and testing her potential to work herself into the sport.
Koenen rebound
Dwyer was glad to ship the ball in from lengthy vary, however the shot was a little bit offline and got here off the rim. Koenen needed to rise up good and excessive and excessive of the New Zealand defenders so as to pluck that ball out of the air. She finishes the job with one other objective.
SCORE 43-37 New Zealand’s means
Offensive contact
Nweke popped out of the circle and as she tried to get again close to the publish, she knocked Weston over. The umpire noticed it immediately and Australia have been fast to capitalise on the chance. Dwyer converts their subsequent centre cross to make it two in a row.
SCORE: 42-36 New Zealand’s means
Coach killer
Australia edge one again by means of Dwyer as Ekenasio is named for breaking on a Silver Ferns centre cross. Now the Diamonds are main this quarter by one objective.
SCORE: 41-32 New Zealand’s means
