Starve the star: Diamonds’ full-court shutdown the key to stopping Silver Ferns

The Constellation Cup is on the line, with Australia needing to reverse its recent fortunes to keep the series alive. Shutting down star shooter Grace Nweke is the key - and the perfect inspiration is close to hand.

It’s a familiar tale from a team arriving in the west and looking to shut down the star holding shooter - pressure has to come from up the court to slow down the ball headed into the towering target.

Usually, it’s a Super Netball team talking up their chances of halting 198cm Jamaican goaler Jhaniele Fowler, whose prolific scoring ability has helped West Coast Fever become one of the heavyweights of the world’s best league.

This time it’s Diamonds defender Sunday Aryang - ironically a clubmate of Fowler, whose daily battles with Fowler has helped pinpoint the tactics the Aussies need to use against Silver Ferns dynamo Grace Nweke.

Grace Nweke has been the focal point of the New Zealand attack during the Constellation Cup. Picture: Getty Images

The 193cm Nweke has had the wood on the Diamonds defenders so far this series, pouring in an incredible 97 goals from 104 attempts in the opening two games of the Constellation Cup to put the Ferns a single victory away from reclaiming one of the top prizes in world netball.

While the Ferns became mired in the midcourt in their recent series loss to England, they have been outstanding against the Diamonds, doing an Australia on Australia.

Quick ball movement, with the ability to go short through the midcourt and use Nweke as a focal point - with the shooter’s athleticism occasionally making up for the shortcomings of wayward feeds - has served the Ferns well.

The intelligent play of captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, who has tempered her own shooting opportunities to allow Nweke to exploit the one-on-one battle in the circle, has also allowed several bullet-like passes into the goaler.

“Grace does have some great form at the moment,” Aryang said.

“I think for us, it’s just working together in that circle, being able to get up for those balls and even slowing it down as much as possible outside of the circle.

“As long as we can shut down what’s happening outside, it should be able to bring some impact in the back.”

Sunday Aryang has played on towering shooter Jhaniele Fowler at training for years and will be integral to any Diamonds turnaround. Picture: Getty Images

Aryang started at goal defence in the last game in Auckland on Wednesday night, moving out to wing defence as the Aussies looked for solutions inside the goal circle.

If she wears the WD bib again on Sunday, she’ll need to put the brakes on the likes of Kimiora Poi and Maddy Gordon, whose ability to look to the post and find Nweke have been outstanding this series.

Aryang’s former Fever teammate Rudi Ellis is another whose game benefited from going up against Fowler for two years.

A series bolter, the now-Melbourne Vixens defender could come into the team for Sunday’s clash, with her height (190cm) and advantage for the Aussies.

In the biggest clue yet that she could be called into the match-day 12 by coach Stacey Marinkovich, Ellis said

“We’ve been practising lots of ‘hands over’ to force a high ball into Grace,” Ellis said of the full-court defence that the Diamonds will employ.

“Hopefully us in the goalkeeper position can come out and have a fly for ball.”

At 190cm Rudi Ellis could be injected into the match-day squad by Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich as Australia looks to shut down Grace Nweke. Picture: Getty Images

The Diamonds need to win both games in Australia - in Perth on Sunday and Melbourne next Wednesday - in regular time to force the newly introduced tie-breaker period that will determine the series winner.

If they manage that, two seven-minute periods will be played to determine the trophy winner, something the home side obviously will hope will happen after they were unable to turn around their New Zealand hoodoo.

“We’re obviously not very happy with our performance over the last two games,” Aryang said.

“There are moments in there where we did some great things but I think for the next two games, it’s just doing what we do well and being able to bounce back.

“We know what we need to work on, it’s just being able to put that out on court.”

Aryang said the Diamonds were not thinking about the extra-time provisions at the moment, with a win at RAC Arena at the top of their priority list.

But they would not back away from the challenge.

“I think the girls are doing such a great job at embracing the pressure,” she said.

“I think we do well under pressure. It’s just going out there and showing what we can do.”

Originally published as Starve the star: Diamonds’ full-court shutdown the key to stopping Silver Ferns