Constellation Cup: Kiwi crisis strikes Diamonds with eighth straight loss in NZ
The Diamonds’ impotence in New Zealand has officially become an issue, with the Aussies completing their third consecutive series across the Tasman without a win.
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The Diamonds’ impotence in New Zealand has officially become an issue, with the Aussies completing their third consecutive series across the Tasman without a win.
The Silver Ferns head to Perth with one hand on the Constellation Cup, having taken a 2-0 lead in the four-Test series with a 63-52 victory in Auckland.
The loss, their eighth in a row to the Ferns in New Zealand, came on the back of their 14-goal defeat in the series opener in Wellington, with the counter since their last win across the Tasman clicking over to 1330 days.
The performance put a dampner on coach Stacey Marinkovich’s 50th Test in charge, not least because it was so uncharacteristic of their efforts during her tenure.
World no.1, as well as World Cup and Commonwealth Games champions, the Diamonds own every major trophy in world netball.
But they have not been unchallenged on the road to victory.
The difference in the past, has been that when tested the most, the Diamonds have been able to respond - to critically analyse their performance and make the necessary adjustments to be able to come out on top.
On Wednesday night in Auckland, it was a different Diamonds outfit.
In a contest that is usually incredibly close and exciting, the Diamonds lost the first quarter by six and the margin pushed out to double-digits early in the second term.
Their confidence shot as they battled one of the best players in the world in Grace Nweke and the struggles of one of their own goalers Kiera Austin, the Diamonds made basic errors and looked bereft of ideas at times in the first half.
MARINKOVICH RINGS CHANGES
Marinkovich was not afraid to use all her players and made substantial changes in a bid to swing momentum.
It’s not often in her tenure that captain Liz Watson has been benched.
Australia won the third term by a goal, and, just as they did in the opening Test, threatened to come back early in the fourth.
“At the moment they’re playing extremely well and we just didn’t step up to it,” Watson said.
“We are getting little runs and getting it back within five or six and then letting it blow out again.
“It’s critical moments, silly mistakes, silly errors - things that normally are really uncharacteristic for our team - which is disappointing.
“But there is that fight there, and there is that belief still. We want to take this to that final quarter (extra time) now home, so hopefully we can get it done there.”
But while there were a few positive signs late - Sophie Dwyer was again solid for the Diamonds after taking Aussie MVP honours in the series opener and Sunday Aryang showed her versatility playing across both goal defence and wing defence - there are massive question marks for Australia over their resilience.
SERIES ON THE LINE
The Diamonds now have to win both games in Australia - in Perth on Sunday and Melbourne next Wednesday - to force the new tiebreaker rule that has been introduced for this year’s series.
After the Diamonds won the 2022 and 2023 series on goal aggregate after the four-match series was split 2-2, a tiebreaker was introduced for this season.
Australia will need to win both the Perth and Melbourne Tests in regular time to trigger the tiebreaker - two extra seven-minute periods that will be played at full-time of the final Test.
It’s actually a win for the Diamonds, who head into the Australian leg of the series down 25 goals on aggregate, with little chance of clawing that margin back after the Ferns won back-to-back games over the Aussies by double-digits for the first time in their history.
That will be the furthest thing from their minds at the moment though.
The most urgent matter is to turn the tide against a Ferns side that has found its mojo after being tested thoroughly after slipping down the world rankings in the wake of its recent series loss to England.
DIAMONDS CAN COME BACK
History tells us the Diamonds can recover.
They have won their last five games in Australia against the Ferns, with their last loss coming back in 2019, with a single-goal defeat at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
Dwyer said the Aussies were not about to give up the series.
“I think we have to take the learnings but confidence has to be high,” Dwyer said.
“We’re going back home, we’re going and playing in Australia and we’re going to have to bring it to be two games all to then … play that extra little fifth game (extra time) on the side.
“And that’s what we’re going to do. We’re not defeated yet and we’re definitely not having that mindset.”
‘They rarely lose two in a row’: Diamonds legend
Former Diamond Cath Cox is expecting an Aussie rebound in the second Constellation Cup clash in Auckland on Wednesday as Stacey Marinkovich’s side attempts to hand the coach a sparkling milestone memory.
Fox Netball commentator and former national team stalwart Cox said the Diamonds rarely turned in consecutive poor performances and expected them to erase their Wellington walloping with a stellar showing at Spark Arena.
The Diamonds were beaten by 14 goals in the Con Cup opener - the largest margin the Silver Ferns have put on their great rivals since 2010 - as the Aussies stumbled in the campaign opener.
But Cox believes it will take only a few adjustments from the Diamonds to bounce back in Marinkovich’s 50th game as national coach.
“The Diamonds do this, they have moments where they’ll just need a reminder of how to play,” Cox said.
“This happened against England, it happened at the World Cup. I know historically, they (have lost) a couple in a row in New Zealand but I think after that one on Sunday, it’ll be certainly a lot closer.”
While they’re the closest rivals in geographical terms, Australia and New Zealand don’t play often outside of the Constellation Cup.
The last time they met was at the Netball Nations Cup, in London in January, while they have not faced each other in the past two benchmark events - the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.
“When you play New Zealand for the first time in a long time, it’s just reminders about how to play against their zones and things like that, because it can catch you off guard,” Cox said.
“But they would have gone back and done a bit of review on that game and I think they would have picked up a lot very quickly.”
While the Sophie Garbin-Keira Austin combination served Australia extremely well in the recent series against England, the shooters struggled against the Ferns’ zone and the intensity of circle defenders Kelly Jackson and Karin Burger, who were outstanding.
With Austin under intense pressure, Marinkovich slotted Sophie Dwyer into the match - a move Cox applauded, as well as a performance that led to Dwyer being named the Diamonds’ MVP.
An unabashed Georgie Horjus fan, Cox said it could be time to inject the South Australian playmaker into the side.
“I would love to think that that’s going to happen,” Cox said.
“You also though, look at that defensive unit and some of the height in that circle and think, is it the time to introduce George Horjus?”
At 192cm, Jackson is a full 20cm - or eight inches in the old language - taller than Horjus, who as a swing playmaker, could come on in the midcourt at wing defence, with captain Liz Watson moving to centre.
Cox believes the Diamonds will revert to a combination close to what started the first test, with Garbin and Austin starting, while Dwyer should be confident after her last start.
“I’m actually pleased that they put Dwyer on,” Cox said of the Giants goaler, who has been in the Diamonds environment for three years but has had few long stints on court in the gold dress.
“It wasn’t an ideal situation … but that’s what you’ve got to do when you get your opportunity, get out there and do it.
“And it’s probably easier to do that when your team’s not performing because you don’t go on court with an enormous amount of pressure on you already.
“I think that’s what she faced when she went on against England (because) Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin were playing incredibly well.
“Then when you get those moments, it’s like, ‘oh god, I’ve got to play that well as well otherwise, I’m not going to be considered again’.
“She went on and she played well and I was really pumped to see that because I don’t think she had a great (Super Netball) season.
“I kind of thought, is she really only in this team because there’s no one else to pick?
“I know that’s brutal, but it’s probably fairly accurate because a lot of the shooters in our league are now internationals, so it was great to see her get out there and do what she does so well.”
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