THE Constellation Cup is only days away and with that comes speculation on what both New Zealand and Australia’s potential starting sevens could look like. With a couple of key figures missing for both sides with Gretel Bueta, Steph Wood and Emily Mannix out for Australia and Katrina Rore unavailable for New Zealand, it provides an opportunity for some new names to take the next step up. Here are our potential sides:

Australian Diamonds:

GS: Caitlin Bassett
GA: Kiera Austin
WA: Liz Watson
C: Paige Hadley
WD: Gabi Simpson
GD: Jo Weston
GK: Courtney Bruce

With a relatively inexperienced shooting circle it is expected that Diamonds captain and lynchpin Caitlin Bassett gets the nod in the goal shooter position. A key figure under the post with her clever holds, accuracy to post and strength on the rebound, it would be remiss to not give Bassett the start given her ability to dictate the flow inside the circle. She is likely to partner with the likes of Kiera Austin given the two played domestically together at the GIANTS, and the young goaler is realistically the next most experienced in the proposed squad. Austin is a smooth mover who boasts impressive vision to read the play and slot seamlessly into the space to constantly create attacking forays. With good timing and an ability to shoot from range, Austin is an exciting prospect looking to get her first international cap.

Through the midcourt the Diamonds have a plethora of options and have a wealth of versatility with each player able to effectively ply their trade in a variety of positions. Arguably the world’s best wing attack in Liz Watson is set to take the starting position for the Diamonds to provide that steady head in attack with her class with ball in hand a significant factor. Watson is a real figure of consistency, often working in overdrive to weave the ball down the court much like Paige Hadley, who slots into centre. Hadley can switch between a defensive and attacking mindset in the blink of an eye while her high level of endurance is undeniable. Hadley is cautious with ball in hand, renowned for her gut running and endurance rather than her flashy skills. In at wing defence is Gabi Simpson who re-joins the fold after some time on the outskirts. With plenty of experience and an uncanny ability to pick off passes, Simpson is a real livewire across both the defensive and midcourt units. Strong through transition and quick on her feet the wing defence is never far from the action, shutting down her opponent and most importantly winning ball back for her side time and time again.

Speaking of defence, we have gone with the tried and tested duo of Jo Weston and Courtney Bruce at the last line. Weston is an integral member in defence often using her long arms and lean over the shot to intimidate her opponents while her read of the play puts her in good stead to take frequent intercepts. In at goal keeper, Bruce is a highly physical opponent that works her player over with her constant movement, fancy footwork and read of the play to swat away passes with ease. The defensive combination has become well known for their ball-hunting abilities and skillset to put up strong defensive walls for opposition sides, a feat they will be hoping to employ against the Ferns.

Given the likely new connections in attack it is imperative for the Diamonds to have some form of stability down back to ensure the goalers are given the best opportunity to fine tune their partnership and build scoring pressure. With strength through the midcourt expect the Diamonds to bring the ball down the court with speed and use their experienced players to hold down the side when times get tough.

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New Zealand Silver Ferns:

GS: Maia Wilson
GA: Ameliaranne Ekenasio
WA: Gina Crampton
C: Shannon Saunders
WD: Sam Winders
GD: Karin Burger
GK: Jane Watson

The goal circle has a mix of youth and experience as Maia Wilson takes out the goal shooter role. Still only young, Wilson has elevated her game in the past year with her increased movement, impressive timing and overall volume and accuracy a couple of notable features. A strong and commanding presence under the post, Wilson has also proven that she can shoot from range and complement the likes of Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio. The goal attack has speed and cleanliness to boot while her timing along the baseline is second to none. Silky smooth with ball in hand, Ekenasio has an innate understanding of when to flick the ball around or take the shot with her long bomb shooting under pressure a major element in her game. The two are steadily building a strong combination with their quick movement and overall netball nous which are set to cause problems for the Diamonds.

With Laura Langman out of the picture following her retirement it will likely be Shannon Saunders that steps up to the plate and guides the side through the midcourt. Whilst not the quickest player out on court, Saunders offers a sense of reliability and surety through the middle with her careful approach through the centre. Boasting more defensive tendencies, Saunders will complement the likes of partner in crime Gina Crampton who uses her quick footwork to dance around circle edge and feed the ball into the goalers. With excellent vision and timing, Crampton is an easy selection – plus her experience with Saunders makes it almost a no-brainer for the Ferns. Returning to the Ferns squad is Sam Winders with the wing defence poised to take the role given her expertise in the position. With speed to burn, impressive timing and strong transitional play Winders could provide that link between attack and defence.

Karin Burger is the likely starter in at goal defence with the highly versatile defender able to take advantage of her long limbs and employ some strong hands over pressure on the shot. She is deceptively quick given her height, covering the court well to shut down the drive of the attackers while she is a real menace in the air thanks to her excellent leap and timing. She will likely partner with Jane Watson and allow the goal keeper to do what she does best, provide a commanding presence down back. Boasting versatility to change from a holding defender to a moving one, Watson is a real general down back who constantly repositions and uses her rangy arms to force turnovers and create doubt for opposition attackers. She can gobble up intercepts with relative ease and create a wealth of pressure through her movement.

Only naming three circle defenders in the squad, the Ferns will likely opt for the experienced duo to allow for the new connections in the midcourt to flourish. They also welcome back a couple of familiar names in attack who despite having experience are returning from injury so may be eased into the workload.