A MASSIVE start to the 2019 Constellation Cup saw plenty of action and feisty gameplay from the start, with the Australian Diamonds travelling to Christchurch for the first of four test matches against the New Zealand Silver Ferns. Both came into this match with plenty to prove, given the Aussies were still hurting following their loss to the Ferns in June’s Netball World Cup decider, while the Ferns looked to build on that momentum and prove it wasn’t a one-off victory. It was the Ferns that got the goods in the first match of the series, dominating in the first and final quarters to defeat the Aussies by just one goal for the second time in the past six months.

Aussie fan favourite Ash Brazill got the start in her return to the Diamonds, finding the wing defence bib to much cheer from fans, while circle defender Sarah Klau got the start over Courtney Bruce proving coach, Lisa Alexander is willing to mix up positions to get an all-important win on the board. The Diamonds have plenty to offer on the bench with talent and excitement to boot, while Maddy Turner sat out the first match as the thirteenth player.

For the Silver Ferns, the retirement of Casey Kopua left the goal defence bib up for grabs while Gina Crampton was out of the mix with injury, meaning both teams had a number of different players coming into the match. New Zealand still had plenty of strong players to bring to the table however, with the likes of Laura Langman and Katrina Rore at ultimately the best form of their respective careers, while the speed and agility of Maria Folau and Ameliaranne Ekenasio in the goal circle will prove key to the attacking force of the Ferns.

The first quarter saw both sides go in hard for the loose ball, forcing plenty of turnovers and relatively evenly matched across the court. It was a quick start for the Diamonds before the Ferns were able to settle, with neither side able to find fluidity in attack and crowding around the circle in effort to find circle edge. While there were plenty of fumbles from New Zealand early, the side were quick to capitalise with Ekenasio well and truly taking the brunt of the goaling load in goal attack thanks to the defensive effort of Jo Weston and Klau keeping Folau out of the fray. It was a different story for the Aussies, with Gretel Tippett feeding well to Bassett though the defensive effort of Phoenix Karaka and Jane Watson caused difficulty for Liz Watson and Paige Hadley to feed with ease into the circle. Both sides brought physicality in spades from the get-go, contesting and causing turnovers aplenty to come to a 13 goals to 11 quarter time score with the home side leading the charge.

The Ferns came out to play in the second quarter with their forceful game style, coming off the body to clog the space and making it difficult for the Diamonds to find circle edge. While the Diamonds put in every effort to create turnover ball, it was to no avail with the side unable to capitalise, finding little separation in attack. While the Aussies had patches of greatness, the Ferns did not stop pushing and extended their lead to four goals early in the quarter. In a big move for the Aussies, Laura Scherian took the court in wing attack on her Diamonds debut as the oldest debutant in Diamonds history, replacing Watson and injecting her dynamic speed and feeding ability on circle edge. With under a minute left on the clock the diamonds drew back some momentum, denying the Ferns a goal opportunity and finishing the quarter down by one goal, 26-25. The Diamonds more than doubled the penalty count coming into halftime, proving that the cleanliness of the Ferns may be the Aussies’ downfall, while the Ferns dominated possession in the first half, taking much more care of the ball than Australia.

The third quarter started much the same with only one big change for the Diamonds, seeing Watson retake the court in centre while Hadley took the bench, with no changes made for the Ferns. Karaka came alive in the third, finding loose ball with relative ease and applying a mountain of pressure inside the defensive circle. Scherian slotted in well for the Diamonds, unafraid to turn and feed the ball and proving a worthy addition to the side which still seemed sluggish against the Ferns despite matching them almost goal for goal. The momentum swung the way of the Diamonds in the latter half of the quarter, with the side finally seeming to settle and creating issues for the Ferns, not allowing their opposition to stick to their structures. The Diamonds took the lead to five at the final change, taking up the heat in the end of the quarter to turn the tides of the match and set up a massive final quarter, leading 44-39.

The final quarter saw the contest step up a notch, with the Ferns unwilling to go down without a fight while the Diamonds had a sluggish start to lose their five goal buffer. The Diamonds made plenty of silly errors to begin the quarter, losing some of the polish they worked so hard to produce in the third, seeing Caitlin Thwaites sub in for captain, Bassett. An umpiring blind spot saw Ekenasio produce a turnover for the ages, gifting the Ferns a massive match-changing goal that swung the momentum well and truly out of the Diamonds’ hands. The Ferns ate up the final minute of the clock to win their first back-to-back victory against the Diamonds since 2015, defeating the Aussies 53-52 and taking in the confidence to the second match of the series in Auckland on Wednesday.

The Diamonds stayed confident in their attacking and defensive setup throughout, not making any changes and ensuring the side ironed through any issues. Bassett and Tippett produced the goods, shooting a respective 26 goals from 30 attempts and 24 from 25, while Thwaites put up two from two in her short stint on court. Weston and Klau combined for seven gains and 24 penalties, while Scherian put in the hard yards feeding with 10 assists from 13 feeds, second only to Watson who took charge with 22 from 30. For the victors, Ekenasio and Folau were outstanding with 29 and 24 goals respectively, while Langman and Shannon Saunders put on an attacking clinic around the circle combining for 42 assists.