WITH the return of international netball, New Zealand is set to play host to Australia in Game 2 of the Constellation Cup as the Ferns look to collect their second win. There are plenty of scintillating match-ups across the court but it is hard to go past two experienced campaigners in Courtney Bruce and Maia Wilson that have well and truly made a name for themselves on the big stage with their consistency and netball brain.

New Zealand Silver Ferns v. Australian Diamonds

Maia Wilson (GS) v. Courtney Bruce (GK)

When Wilson and Bruce get together there is nothing short of fireworks with neither player willing to give an inch. Key cogs for their respective sides, the two have locked horns in multiple battles over the past few international campaigns using their netball IQ to outsmart one another and take advantage of their physical nature to get the edge over one another. Although they did not spend the entire game opposed to each other in Game 1, when they did meet up the contest was nothing short of ferocious, making this match-up exciting.

The New Zealand Silver Ferns goal shooter is not only a playmaker in the attacking third, but an incredible threat under the post. With patience and accuracy to boot, Wilson is a damaging goaler that uses her impressive timing to outsmart her opponents. With silky footwork and a high netball IQ, Wilson is hard to stop when she gets going using her read of the play to out manoeuvre her opponent and impress. Able to shoot from directly under the post or from range Wilson is a livewire that can change the course of a game within an instant, thanks to the speed in which she can shoot. Her holds under the post are crucial to her dominance but the young goal shooter has added more strings to her bow with her movement outside of the circle also a prominent component. She is able to pop out at along the baseline or cut through the middle of the defenders to release the pressure. Wilson is not afraid to engage in a bit of argy-bargy willing to both body up on her defender to claim prime possession or get on the move with her strong drives along the baseline or float across the top of the circle. The goal shooter will have to shoulder a wealth of the load heading into this clash with Ameliaranne Ekenasio out with a calf complaint and both Bailey Mes and Monica Falkner returning from injury.

With long arms and quick footwork Bruce is an exciting defender that is never out of the contest. She can cover the court with great ease and boasts an impressive workrate to continuously get hands to ball and impact the play. The Diamonds defender is a real menace both in the air and at ground level able to get up to the high lofty passes or down for the bounce passes to pick off intercepts. She is not afraid to engage in a bit of niggle or physicality to ruffle the feathers of her opponent and make life hard for them inside the circle. Her reach over the shot enables her to put doubt in the shooters mind and force held balls or missed shots given the perceived pressure. Bruce has the capacity to switch into goal defence but is strong in either position to propel the ball back down the court in the blink of an eye while her overall court presence is undeniable able to mount pressure and use her closing speed to create deflections and turnovers. The Diamonds keeper is highly dynamic and can adapt to any defensive combination impressing with her her transition between defensive partners Sarah Klau and Jo Weston.

Still familiarising themselves with new combinations out the front and a long time off from international netball expect both Wilson and Bruce to leave nothing to chance as they engage in an enthralling battle of speed and tactics. Wilson is a classy player that can think her way through the physical pressure that Bruce will inflict and use her timing to find the space with relative ease while her accuracy to post is impressive. Bruce will be eager to nullify Wilson with her smothering style of defence and shadowing movements to clog up space, but if the Ferns goaler is afforded too much space and able to get her game up and running early it could spell trouble for the Diamonds.