THE 2019 Netball World Cup sees 16 countries head to Liverpool, England, with 60 matches played over the 10 day period between July 12-21. Countries have been split into four pools, playing a round robin in that pool before going further depending on their respective success.

England head into the 2019 Netball World Cup with the home court advantage and a point to prove, looking to back up their historic 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal and a dominant few years on the world stage. The Roses come into this series with a wealth of experience under their belts and no less than 800 caps among the 12 players. However with experience comes age, and though age is just a number it could call match fitness into question given the short recovery time between games. The Roses are one of the most highly rated outfits in this series, so will certainly be one of the countries to watch. England are in Pool D, taking on Uganda, Scotland and Samoa in the opening matches before likely proceeding forward in the competition.

England Roses coach, Tracey Neville has stated this will be her final competition at the helm, and with it has put forward a Roses side that looks dominant on paper and can certainly back it up in practice. The side will look to exciting defensive midcourter, Serena Guthrie as captain after the shock drop of ex-captain and defender, Ama Agbeze prior to selection, proving Neville has a point to prove. Joining Guthrie in the midcourt are Jade Clarke, Nat Panagarry, Nat Haythornthwaite and Chelsea Pitman, bringing an exciting mix of versatility and consistency to the fray. While Haythornthwaite has the ability to rotate through both wing attack and the goal circle, Pitman brings back some necessary stability as a key position player, playing solely in wing attack but bringing impeccable timing and pinpoint feeds to the court. Guthrie, Clarke and Panagarry all have the ability to rotate around the midcourt where necessary, posing a dominant force with their respective talent and ability to capitalise on every turnover. In attack is the ever reliable pairing of Jo Harten and Helen Housby, who scored the winning goal for England in the Commonwealth Games, while Rachel Dunn proved a dominant force at the post in January’s Northern Quad Series, able to rotate in when necessary. The trio have speed and accuracy to boot, and with Haythornthwaite able to read play to both feed and shoot, England’s attack will be a force to be reckoned with. England have arguably one of the best defensive lineups of the competition, with Geva Mentor, Layla Guscoth likely the starting defenders, credit to their individual strengths and innate ability to work in tandem. Meanwhile, the likes of Eboni Usoro-Brown and young gun, Fran Williams will likely start on the sideline but are certainly able to break open a game with ease if given the opportunity.

Fixtures:

Round 1: vs. Uganda, July 12
Round 2: vs. Scotland, July 13
Round 3: vs. Samoa, July 14

Predicted finish: 1st