ANOTHER huge round of Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) action is upon us, with three sides sitting out of Round 9 and handed an extended break during the Easter long weekend. Saracens Mavericks have the toughest task this week taking on two fellow top five sides, as London Pulse and Severn Stars have a really good chance of getting wins on the board to elevate themselves up the ladder.

Sunday, April 4

Manchester Thunder v. Loughborough Lightning

A battle of second and fifth opens the round, with the Lightning looking to add to its winning streak as Thunder have a real chance to showcase just what they are capable of. While there is no doubt this match will generate plenty of talk given the two sides are powerhouses of the competition, the Lightning have the form and connections to really exploit the Thunder – especially if they are still missing Emma Dovey down back – while the Thunder will hope to shock the Lightning’s system.

Expect Lightning tall timber Mary Cholhok to wreak havoc out the front when she takes of stalwart defender Kerry Almond, with Rebekah Airey tasked with shutting down the ever-impressive and athletic Ella Clark out in goal attack. But the stars do not end there for the Lightning with the midcourt of Beth Cobden, Nat Panagarry and Hannah Joseph able to inflict a heap of damage if left alone. That being said, Manchester’s midcourt lines up fairly well in opposition with Laura Malcolm and Caroline O’Hanlon leading the charge, and able to propel ball into Ellie Cardwell and Joyce Mvula with ease time and time again. Given the evenness of the contest, expect this one to be a real close encounter that comes down to Lightning’s class out the front.

Severn Stars v. Celtic Dragons

The Stars will be hoping to get some much-needed separation off the bottom of the ladder this week, with their first match of the round against the lowly Dragons. Whilst this is realistically one of the Dragons’ only viable winning chances given their struggle of a season so far, even with a depleted midcourt the Stars have managed to be a real challenge for sides, continuously putting out four quarter performances despite not getting the win on the board, making this match a real test for both sides.

For the Dragons, expect Amy Clinton to continue to hold ground at the post with her sticky fingers, and utilise her steadily improving footspeed to evade the Stars’ defence in Adi Bolakoro, Lucy Herdman and Iman Thomas, who have been developing well as the season has continued. Clinton’s connection with Laura Rudland and Rebekah Robinson has looked solid in recent rounds despite still being beaten, while at the other end Annika Lee-Jones will be tasked with shutting down the likes of Georgia Rowe and blocking vision with her long arms. Paige Reed has shown some good form of late in at goal attack, so will look to exploit the likes of Lee-Jones, Abigail Tyrell and Christina Shaw with her footwork out the front.

London Pulse v. Wasps Netball

Pulse have a tough task this week, with a matchup against the ever-powerful Wasps to start their weekend. Whilst the Wasps have not quite been in the winning form they have become known for in the past, they still have registered five wins to the Pulse’s one, making this matchup a fairly predictable one in the scheme of things. Pulse’s main issue is generating scoring power whilst their defence is fairly strong, so if the side can limit the attack and hunt from the Wasps they could have a chance of maintaining a low-scoring affair, however given each side’s recent form it is safe to say the Wasps should have this one.

Expect the Wasps to fly out of the blocks, with the ever-reliable Sophia Candappa and Iona Christian heading up the troops, with the duo’s combination continuing to create magic in attack for the side. Their connection out the front with Katie Harris and Rachel Dunn can be hard to stop, with in-form Funmi Fadoju, Halimat Adio, Zara Everitt and Lindsay Keable certainly having a tough task ahead of them. Expect an intriguing battle at the other end with Sigi Burger a difficult player to stop when she is on, however has not quite had the support or clean feeds from her attackers, while Kira Rothwell struggled last round and the likes of Lefebre Rademan and Olivia Tchine have not yet managed consistent court-time given the defensive prowess of their opposition. Their opposition this week in Fran Williams and Josie Huckle is no different, and could be the game-changer in this encounter.

Saracens Mavericks v. Team Bath

The Mavs have arguably one of the toughest lineups of the round, and a loss to Bath on Sunday could spell real trouble for them backing up once more on Monday evening. Whilst Bath looks to be without Imogen Allison who went down in the opening minutes of their Round 8 matchup, they still have a plethora of viable options through the midcourt and down back which will really test the Mavs front-end which is still solidifying its connections. That being said, if the Mavs can take advantage of the missing link in wing defence early, they could have a real chance here of proving how much they’ve improved.

It will be the Mavs defence which needs to be switched on from the get-go in this matchup, with Razia Quashie, Jo Trip and Jodie Gibson given the tough task of negating the impact of Kim Borger and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis at the post. Most difficult though is the side’s depth in attack with Betsy Creak also a viable option to post, boasting plenty of front-end versatility. Expect Serena Guthrie and Sasha Corbin to go head-to-head through the centre with Layla Guscoth a potential to start in wing defence given the side’s defensive depth, as Eboni Usoro-Brown, Tash Pavelin and Summer Artman can all wreak havoc within the circle. Kadeen Corbin and Ine-Mari Venter will have their work cut out for them within the goal circle, even being fed by the likes of Gabby Marshall.

Tip: Lightning by 8, Stars by 12, Wasps by 14, Bath by 9

Monday, April 5

Severn Stars v. London Pulse

Opening Monday’s proceedings is a huge clash between two of the bottom three sides, with one at the very least looking to jump into top eight calculations given Storm’s week off. What this match could ultimately come down to is each side’s respective Sunday results, with confidence going a long way for success, especially given both have laboured away at the bottom of the ladder. Looking at recent form, it looks like Pulse could have the upper hand, however it could be too close to call this one prior to Sunday’s matches.

Expect a fairly even battle here, with both sides boasting stars at either end of the court but somewhat falling away in the centre. The Pulse will need Adean Thomas to really step up alongside the likes of Ashleigh Dekker and Michelle Drayne, with the midcourt boasting endurance but sometimes lacking the potency to fire the ball into Burger at the post. Burger’s positioning will be a real point of interest against Herdman in the goal circle, while the Stars’ defensive midcourt will need to really step up to block vision with Nia Jones and Bethan Dyke the go-to midcourters in action. At the other end, Lucy Harris will look to continue the form she found last round with Reed and Rowe in the circle up against the exciting Fadoju.

Saracens Mavericks v. Manchester Thunder

The final match of an action-packed round will see a tantalising clash between two sides which start the round in fourth and fifth. Whilst Thunder have recovered well from the Round 5/6 blip which saw them register two straight thrashings from fellow top sides, the Mavericks have had their fair share of tests and come out with victories in tough circumstances more than once, meaning this matchup could really come down to each side’s endurance following Sunday’s matches. Both teams have a real test on Sunday, meaning rotations could be high to ensure the fatigue does not sink in too early.

Expect the defensive units to go blow for bow in this one, with the likes of Almond and Airey in the backline for the Thunder whilst the Mavs boast an exceptional trio down back of their own with Trip, Quashie and Gibson more than capable of holding up under pressure. Realistically, the Thunder look to be the more in-form side between the two purely down to the exceptional attacking combination it has in the goal circle, with Mvula and Cardwell’s connection as good as any, whilst the Mavs are still working out their preferred combination with Corbin and Venter holding ground well but occasionally requiring an extra something something to keep the scoreboard ticking along.

Tip: Pulse by 6, Thunder by 7