It was “messy” but Australia got the job done against England on the opening day of the Quad Series in Cape Town this morning, turning a nine-goal first-quarter deficit into a 61-55 win.
Here are the big talking points out of the first Test of the series.
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EIGHT IS GREAT: BRUCE STARS OUT FRONT
Diamonds fans can relax.
If Courtney Bruce’s performance at goal defence in this morning’s six-goal win over the Roses is anything to go by, the Aussies are going to cope just fine without Jo Weston, who is missing the Quad Series through injury.
Bruce started in her usual position of goal keeper, with her West Coast Fever teammate Sunday Aryang at goal defence – where Weston usually plays – but switched there in the second, after the Roses got the jump on the Diamonds. Sarah Klau replaced Bruce at keeper.
Hinchcliffe thrust into Diamonds squad | 00:54
Playing on Helen Housby, it took 29-year-old Bruce a while to work her way into the game, but she ended up with eight gains, more than any other player. Four of her gains were intercepts and she also had five deflections (two with a gain) and two rebounds in an MVP performance.
Bruce, who finished the game on the bench after appearing to tweak her ankle with just over six minutes to go, praised her defensive teammates. “They make me look good. It was a full team effort,” she said.
“We’re about being a dynamic defence end and being able to switch it up. So bringing Sarah on, she gives us so much out the back. And then bringing my height out into goal defence … I think I’m learning to play my version of goal defence.”
15 MINUTES THAT CHANGED THE GAME
The third quarter is often decisive in big matches and that was unquestionably the case this morning, with the Diamonds changing the trajectory of the game in the 15 minutes after halftime.
Former Super Netball stats analyst and now Cluch Radio commentator Michael Hutchinson looked at how a one-goal lead at the main break turned into a seven-goal deficit for the Roses at the last.
“England actually had a 8/3 start in the third, to lead by six goals about six minutes in. But with the Diamonds starting to claw the lead back, Stacey Marinkovich replaced Steph Wood with Kiera Austin at goal attack, which proved a masterstroke,” Hutchinson said.
“Austin was calm under pressure, taking the bulk of the centre passes and shooting 5/6 in her six minutes. With Austin at GA, the Diamonds went on an 11-goal run and held England goalless for more than seven minutes.
“Eleanor Cardwell, who finished the quarter with 6/7, only had one attempt in the last nine minutes of the quarter and looked frustrated as Courtney Bruce and Sarah Klau got on top. England’s attempts went from 21 in the first quarter, to 15 in the second to just 12 in the all-important third.
“Australia also scored 14 of the last 16 goals. Intriguingly, England had more ‘time in possession’ – 52% compared to 48% – in the quarter, but still lost it 17-9,” Hutchinson said.
THIRLBY’S ‘ODD’ MOVE SHOCKS
The decision by England coach Jess Thirlby to bench young goal defence Funmi Fadoju in the third quarter – at a time when she was dominating the match and winning ball – left netball pundits and Roses fans dumbfounded.
With just over four minutes to go in the quarter Thirlby dragged 20-year-old Fadoju, who didn’t appear to be injured, and replaced her with Fran Williams.
Minutes earlier, Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich had put Kiera Austin in at goal attack, replacing Steph Wood, suggesting it was perhaps a match-up-driven call.
Whatever the motivation, the move proved a bad one with Williams having little impact and being replaced by Fadoju halfway through the last. But the damage had been done.
The Fox Netball commentary team and social media users expressed dismay at the switch, with some Twitter users even calling for Thirlby to be sacked.
Fox Netball commentator Cath Cox was among those surprised. “I certainly thought Fadoju was the in-form defender. It was an odd decision,” she said.
Former England captain turned pundit Pamela Cookey tweeted that she was “not sure why” the youngster had been sent to the pine.
When asked about it after the game, England captain Nat Metcalf said her side had “full trust” in the coaches.
“Whatever rotations they make, the girls come on and make an impact. So it’s about us trying to play the Roses way and get back onto the game plan as quick as possible,” Metcalf, who went to the bench herself in the third quarter, replaced by Chelsea Pitman, said.
SLOW START A WORRY FOR DIAMONDS
Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich often talks about the importance of a good start, so she would have been disappointed by how her charges started their Quad Series campaign in Cape Town this morning: slow and sluggish.
England got an 11/4 jump on the Aussies in the first quarter, with midcourters Paige Hadley and Jamie-Lee Price seemingly retreating rather than dictating on defence and shooter Sophie Garbin looking like she might succumb to a case of the yips. In the third, the Roses scored the first three before the Diamonds woke up.
While the whole side settled and Garbin ended up in the best with 46/51 at 90% accuracy and six rebounds, starts will no doubt be a work-on ahead of tomorrow morning’s match against old foe New Zealand.
Captain Liz Watson said her team would have to focus on getting out of the blocks.
“We tend to finish the quarters quite strong, but you need to have a (whole) solid quarter. We have lots and lots of work to do (for next game), like coming out a bit stronger.”
Watson, who led all-comers with 41 feeds (33 with an attempt) and 21 centre pass receives and also had one intercept and a deflection, said she was proud of the win.
“It was a bit of a messy game; up and down. You’ve got to take those wins when you can. (I’m) really proud that we had that fight to get the win. England, they’re a quality team. They’re really physical so we had to play our own game and not get caught up in the physicality,” she said.
Weston ruled out with calf injury | 00:29
BRAZILL A MYSTERY LATE WITHDRAWAL
Midcourter Ash Brazill was named in the Diamonds’ game-day 12 a few hours before the first Test this morning, but wasn’t part of the team, replaced by Kate Moloney on the list without explanation.
The 33-year-old wing defence is looking to reclaim a gold dress after opting out of the two post-Commonwealth Games tournaments last year because of AFLW and family commitments. The Quad is her chance to put her hand up for World Cup selection.
While Moloney replaced her on the team sheet, Jamie-Lee Price took Brazill’s bib in the game, playing 60 minutes at wing defence in a solid performance.
The Diamonds are expected to name the 12 for the next Test, against New Zealand tomorrow morning, early Sunday evening.
QUAD SERIES FIXTURES (AEDT)
January 23
1am – Proteas vs Roses
3am – Diamonds vs Silver Ferns
January 25
1am – Roses vs Silver Ferns
3am – Proteas vs Diamonds
January 26
1am – 3rd & 4th play-off
3am – Final
