ANZ Championship Round 8 preview

THE race for the ANZ Championship is building with the competition moving into the second half of the season.

Melbourne Vixens

THE race for the ANZ Championship is building with the competition moving into the second half of the season.

Much of the focus this weekend will be on the clash between the Melbourne Vixens, coming off their first loss for the season when beaten by the NSW Swifts, and the Northern Mystics in Melbourne on Sunday.

The Vixens can regain top spot on the ladder at least for 24 hours with the Adelaide Thunderbirds, less than one per cent above them on the premiership ladder, facing the central Pulse in Wellington on Monday night.

A loss for the Mystics could damage their claims for a vital top two spot and the double chance in the finals.

Tactix v Magic
CBS Arena, Christchurch
Sunday, 4.20pm

The Magic beat the Tactix by nine goals only three weeks back and will go into this match on the back of three successive wins. Casey Williams and Leana de Bruin are expected to play despite not playing full games last week and Jessica Tuki returns to give the Magic a full squad.

The Tactix have only win for the season but they were far from disgraced against the Firebirds in Brisbane last week.

*The Tactix have yet to beat the Magic in nine meetings.
*The Magic's three wins have been against the three bottom sides.
*This will be the Tactix's 60th ANZ Championship game. They have won 13.
*The Tactix have a 9-17 win-loss record at home.
*The Magic's away record in NZ is 16-3.

Vixens v Mystics
Hisense Arena, Melbourne
Sunday, 12.10pm

The Vixens had their unbeaten start to the season snapped last weekend when over run by the Swifts. They led by eight goals at quarter-time and several key personnel dropped out of the contest.

At home, the Vixens will start a hot favourite with captain Bianca Chatfield expected to play after having injury problems in recent weeks.

The worry for the Mystics is their two losses have been against Aussie opponents, the Thunderbirds and Firebirds. They have also struggled for a full four-quarter effort.

*They have met four times with the Vixens winning four.
*The Mystics have played 13 games in Australia for two wins.
*The Vixens have won their two Melbourne games against the Mystics by nine and 10 goals.
*This is the first of four successive home games for the Vixens.

Swifts v Fever
Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Sunday, 2.20pm

The Swifts dropped their opening two games but have responded with four wins to climb into the top four.
Defender Sonia Mkoloma started on the bench in the win over the Vixens last weekend but had a huge influence when introduced into the match at quarter-time.

The Fever kept persisting against the Thunderbirds last weekend before being over run. Coach Norma Plummer has not been afraid to throw her side around and she even had Diamonds defender Susan Fuhrmann on the bench for the whole game in Adelaide. Even gun goaler Caitlin Bassett has spent time on the bench.

*They have met eight times with the Swifts winning six.
*When they last met, round 6 last year, the Swifts' 70-goal tally was their highest score against the Fever.
*The Fever's two wins have been against Kiwi opponents.
*The Swifts have played four games in Newcastle for two wins.
*They have met in Newcastle once with the Swifts by 12 goals.

Steel v Firebirds
Velodrome, Invercargill
Sunday, 7.20pm

This is a must-win for the Steel if they want to stay alive in the race for the finals. They are already two games behind fourth-placed Swifts and cannot afford another loss.

The Steel seriously challenged the Mystics last week but clumsy mistakes in the final quarter proved costly.

The Firebirds are lurking just outside the top four with three wins and there is confidence within the group they can still earn a spot in the finals. Lose this game, however, and the job becomes a tough road. The Firebirds' three wins have been against Kiwi sides.

*They have met four times with the Firebirds winning three.
*The Firebirds shot the most goals in round with 64 against the Tactix.
*The Firebirds have played 10 games in NZ for six wins. Their 60 per cent winning record in NZ is the best of any Australian side.
*The Firebirds have won their past six games in NZ.

Pulse v Thunderbirds
TSB Arena, Wellington
Monday, 7.40pm

Pulse coach Robyn Broughton is confidence her side has the ammunition to conquer the competition pacesetters. Victorian goaler Caitlin Thwaites has been in outstanding form for the Pulse while the side has the experience and class to bother the Thunderbirds.

The Pulse showed with their four-goal loss to the Swifts in Sydney that they can challenge the Aussie teams.

The Thunderbirds grabbed top spot on the ladder when they beat the Fever by 17 goals at home last week. After losing to the Vixens in round 3, the Thunderbirds have bounced back with four wins.

They have risen to the top despite struggling for consistency in a game. The Thunderbirds are adamant they have plenty of room for improvement, especially cutting into the high turnover rate.

*The Pulse have yet to beat the Thunderbirds in four meetings.
*The Thunderbirds are on top of the ladder for the first time in the five years of the competition.
*Five of the Thunderbirds' wins have been by 10 goals or more.
*Three of the Pulse's five losses have been by five goals or less.
*The Thunderbirds have beaten the Pulse by 12 and 35 goals in their two NZ games.