Australia defeats New Zealand 50-40 in game one of Constellation Cup

After a lead-in overshadowed by a pay dispute, the Diamonds shook off those concerns to claim game one of the Constellation Cup. LINDA PEARCE analyses where the game was won.

The business of regaining all of the sport’s major trophies having finished at the World Cup in August, the all-conquering Diamonds have launched their next four-year cycle with a convincing 50-40 defeat of second-ranked New Zealand in Melbourne.

Seeking to retain the Constellation Cup title it won last year on goal difference after dropping both away games to the Silver Ferns, Australia lapsed only briefly in the third quarter before 9043 fans at John Cain Arena.

The lead-in having been overshadowed by the ongoing Super Netball pay dispute, the night was all about the Diamonds, in a victory lap of sorts for 10 of the 12 who brought home a 12th world championship from Cape Town, with vice-captain Steph Wood and wing defence Ash Brazill having since retired from international play.

“Playing the world champs, definitely they showed that out there,” Ferns coach Noeline Taurua said.

“Gaps that probably did highlight for us; not anything that we didn’t know, but our ability to execute.

“Still some positives that I thought we fought really hard, worked really hard, (need to improve the) final execution of things, get more gains.’’

While Kate Moloney and young shooter Sophie Dwyer have been recalled in their place, Kiera Austin and Jamie-Lee Price entered the starting seven alongside Cara Koenen and the four most-capped current Diamonds — captain Liz Watson a standout with game-high 25 goal assists in her 74th Test, new deputy Paige Hadley, Courtney Bruce and Jo Weston.

The Diamonds took care of business against the Silver Ferns. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Coach Stacey Marinkovich was forced to activate her bench in the last minute of the opening quarter when Hadley went down clutching her left knee, and the Swifts co-captain headed to the locker room at the start of the second and was cleared to return but not required.

Marinkovich was not concerned with the injury

“She (Hadley) got full clearance, so it was a little bit of a tweak to the knee, just sort of extended (it), but we needed to make sure, so now we’ve got a fresh player to add to the mix next time.’’

Moloney was not about to waste the chance for a Vixens reunion on her home court, however, having been a travelling reserve in Cape Town despite playing an important role in place of the injured Hadley at last year’s Commonwealth Games.

The Diamonds accelerated away with a 17-10 second term to set up the victory; fluid, fast and accurate in attack and stifling in their trademark one-on-one defence to limit New Zealand to just 20 goals at 75 per cent in the first half while converting 29 of 31 attempts themselves.

Taurua introduced Karin Burger for Phoenix Karaka at half-time to try to quell the slick moving circle of Koenen and Austin, and succeeded in limiting the Diamonds to their lowest scoring quarter (11), while drawing to within six as Koenen logged her first miss after nailing 23 straight.

Marinkovich made her own defensive switch after the stadium lights briefly went out eight minutes later, benching Weston for Sarah Klau and pushing match MVP Bruce out to goal defence, then calling on Sunday Aryang for Price on the wing.

Kate Moloney celebrates the win. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The Diamonds scored the first three goals of the last term to extend a buffer that was stretched to 10 by the final whistle, then celebrated post-match by honouring Brazill, and posing with the World Cup pennant.

New Zealand was coming off its worst finish — fourth — in a proud World Cup history, and despite the narrative around this so-called “young” group in fact boasts 465 collective Tests compared with Australia’s 443.

The Ferns were still without star Grace Nweke, 21, who has been sidelined since a knee injury cut short her World Cup debut and fatally wounded her country’s chances of a successful title defence simultaneously, and again opted for teenager Amelia Walmsley under the post.

The 192-centimetre Walmsley impressed with 36 and 40 goals on debut last month against a depleted England defence, and settled after a slightly shaky start against a full-strength Australian squadron led by the ever-robust Bruce.

Walmsley (21/25) was replaced by Maia Wilson with eight minutes left while Marinkovich returned to the shooting combination that excelled in the World Cup final when calling on Sophie Garbin to join her soon-to-be Vixens teammate Austin in the circle in junk time.

Taurua was encouraged by Walmsley’s debut against the Diamonds in general and the intimidating Bruce in particular.

“Oh look, the poor 19-year-old,’’ she quipped. “These are the things that you play against legends as such, but also those dreams that you have out there. It’s a great starting point for her and there’s areas that we know she can work on, but we’ll keep chipping away. Commendable.’’

“Not necessarily am I happy with a 10 (goal loss), because you’re not, but we’ll take the licking and we’ll get ourselves ready for game two in Brisbane. Margin, whether it’s one or 100, it doesn’t make a difference, you either win or lose.’’

Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Liz Watson shake hands after game one. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

In their 164th contest, but first since January, the Diamonds thus extended their head-to-head record against their great rivals to 105-59 (with two draws). Sixteen have been decided by a single goal, but there was not terribly much that close about this one, as Koenen finished with a game-high 27 goals from 31 attempts.

The Brisbane Entertainment Centre will host game two on Sunday, before the New Zealand leg of the series in Invercargill on Thursday and Auckland on October 23.

Australia 50 (Koenen 27, Austin 22, Garbin 1), d New Zealand 40 (Walmsley 21, Ekenasio 17, Wilson 2).

Crowd: 9043 at John Cain Arena

Originally published as Australia defeats New Zealand 50-40 in game one of Constellation Cup