Anyone worried netball’s trans-Tasman rivalry was dead given Australia’s 2023 title sweep can relax. It’s not.
It’s alive and as spicy as ever after the Silver Ferns yesterday won the fourth and final Constellation Cup Test played in Auckland … but not by enough to claim the trophy.
The world champion Diamonds retained the Cup on goal aggregate despite the 53-50 loss and one in Invercargill last week, and thanks to winning two on Australian soil.
Here are the big talking points out of the final Test.
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NZ surge to comeback despite series loss | 01:46
KIWI PRESSURE CRACKS DIAMONDS
Learning how to win in New Zealand needs to go to the top of Australia’s to-do list after the Diamonds lost a sixth-straight match across the ditch yesterday.
While the Aussies retained the Constellation Cup on goal aggregate despite losing the Tests played in Invercargill and Auckland, it was a pointed reminder of how tough it is to win on Kiwi soil.
Australia hasn’t won in New Zealand since the second match of the March 2021 Constellation Cup, played entirely in Christchurch after Australia quarantined.
When asked about how her side handle the loud, parochial crowd at Auckland’s Spark Arena in the final Test captain Liz Watson was blunt.
“We don’t,” she said.
“That’s obviously something we need to work on. The fans are so passionate.”
Goal keeper Courtney Bruce tried to restore calm on the court as the Ferns reeled in a five-goal lead in the last quarter yesterday.
“I was just trying to remind everyone that it’s just noise, that it’s a perceived pressure out there,” Bruce said post-match.
“It’s really hard sometimes to get that message down from goal keeper but (it was about) getting our (defenders) to talk to our attackers … (to say) that it is just noise and try to remind them that we train harder than any game that we will ever play. So we know what to do. It’s just trying to reassure the attacking end.”
Coach Stacey Marinkovich – who has coached just one win in New Zealand in eight attempts since 2021 for a 12% winning record – said the match was hard-fought. “We’re certainly learning some incredible lessons playing over in New Zealand,” she said.
“I thought we were strong and we had opportunities to push the score out and those moments came … and we let them slide.
“You can’t afford to do that against the Silver Ferns because they surge and they keep coming and we just lost our rhythm towards the end.”
‘PLUMM’ PRAISE FOR DOMINANT GARBIN
After showing glimpses of brilliance throughout the series, Sophie Garbin got the start at shooter for the Diamonds in the fourth Test.
Garbin, a player everyone has an opinion on, made the most of it before fading in the last. She shot 37/40 at 92% accuracy, had a gain, three goal assists and six feeds, four with an attempt.
Australian netball doyen turned South Africa coach Norma Plummer, currently in Cairns preparing the Proteas for the three-Test series against the Diamonds which begins tomorrow, was impressed with Garbin.
“She dominated the circle in the first quarter, especially when Kelly Jury was out of the circle (and) Karin Burger was left (to cover her). She was far too strong for her,” Plummer said.
She said Garbin’s strength and clever body positioning ensured Australia took a two-goal lead into the main break.
“She is able to adjust to always be an option and with her elevation, she gives the feeders confidence to let the ball go,” Plummer explained.
Speaking post-game, Australian coach Stacey Marinkovich said changes in the shooting circle – which saw Cara Koenen at goal attack with Garbin at shooter in parts of the second half – reflected a desire to keep “running and challenging”.
“Putting two talls (Koenen and Garbin) out there adds a different way the ball can enter and I thought we got some good connections to post,” she said.
“Those combinations haven’t had (a) huge amount of experience in them. Cara hasn’t played international netball really out at goal attack and they’re starting to cement themselves or challenge each other for starting roles.
“But how do you impact, how do you go off, how do you come back on? Lots of lessons, but we’re experiencing and growing our depth,” Marinkovich said.
CLEAN SWEEP FOR ‘HUMBLED’ KELPIES
As they did in Melbourne and Brisbane, the Australian and New Zealand men’s sides – known as the Kelpies and Net Blacks respectively – played a curtain-raiser ahead of the women, with the Aussies winning 68-54 to make it a series clean sweep.
Aussie shooter Jerome Gillbard starred for the Kelpies, shooting 38/38 in three quarters, while Kiwi goal defender Jake Schuster did everything he could, picking up a game-high four gains.
Former Australian men’s team captain Heath Brown, who is now head of strategy with the Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Association, said the series continued the momentum sparked by the same games being televised for the first time.
“If year one was a bit of a test to see how well we were received, year two is about making sure we can sustain that, that we can get more and more eyes on the category and then it just becomes a ‘done thing’ for the men to tour every year with the Diamonds,” he said.
Brown said seeing the men’s game being showcased again was “humbling” for everyone involved.
“It’s been so exciting for the boys to show netball fans around the world the men’s category and how it differs to the women’s game to watch and how we play it and how good they are.
“They do all the work in the gym and they do all the work in our domestic season to fine-tune their game and then to get to show it on such a big stage … is something they’re really proud of.”
DIAMONDS TAKE ‘GREAT LESSONS’
A shiny cup, great lessons and a challenge. That’s what the Diamonds take away from the Constellation Cup.
“I think we’ve taken some great lessons. I’ve put combinations out there that are still in their infancy,” coach Stacey Marinkovich said yesterday.
“We didn’t have a long lead-in to this tournament … that’s not an excuse but it’s understanding what we were able to focus on in a period of time and what we could put out on-court,” Marinkovich added.
“It’s been a big year. We’ve had some incredible success and we’ve got to be able to invigorate what we’re doing out on court and make sure there’s a new flavour to it as we continue to go forward.
“We’re still looking for a four-quarter performance against a top-four nations team … that doesn’t change and obviously, we want to play and win in New Zealand … so that’s another challenge.”
But the Diamonds will acknowledge success, Marinkovich said.
“We’ve taken the Constellation Cup home. That’s a great success of what’s been a great year for us. It’s easy in high performance to go: ‘We want to keep going here’ but I think we also need to go hey: ‘We’re in a good place’.”
For New Zealand, 2023 was more of a “mixed bag” according to coach Dame Noeline Taurua.
“Coming out of the Netball World Cup … knowing that we were fourth, through the traditions of the Silver Ferns … that’s never a good feeling,” she said.
“Through that time, we still maintained our second ranking. I’ll be interested to see how close we are now to Australia.
“That’s massive for us to finish with these last two games at a high. It sets us up nicely for next year.”
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