WITH bragging rights on the line in the semi-finals of the New Zealand Super Club, expect all four teams to come out with a real fire in the belly and intensity. The Magpies are the only international invitee to make the cut after not dropping a game throughout the tournament while the Pulse, Magic and Mystics all represent the ANZ Premiership.

Collingwood Magpies v. Central Pulse

After going through the tournament undefeated the Magpies are set to face off against reigning ANZ Premiership champions, Central Pulse in the first semi-final of the day. Both sides have a plethora of players who can spark their side into action making for a high intensity battle. Collingwood have dominated their previous matches and will be looking to replicate that form against the Pulse who have shown that they can be beaten if not on from the first whistle.

The main battle will be in the goal circle with the Pulse boasting a highly experienced and classy defence unit that can quite literally shut down any attacking forays from the Magpies. Jamaican goal shooter Shimona Nelson has aerial skills to boot but her hands when under pressure can be a bit shaky and with the likes of Katrina Rore, Kelly Jury although she is yet to take the court, Elle Temu and Karin Burger will have to be on the ball early. Burger and Rore have worked well together throughout the Super Club showcasing their defensive talent, ability to read the play and cover each other’s opponent with ease making it a challenging task for the Magpies. But they are not without some star power of the own in the likes of Nat Medhurst renowned for her ability to run the attack end thanks to her vision and understanding.

Collingwood should have the upper hand through the midcourt with the likes of Ash Brazill controlling the court with her speed and sheer athleticism. Gabby Sinclair also showed her versatility to switch out to wing attack and have an impact feeding the ball into Nelson and Medhurst while youngsters Ella Bayliss and Maggie Lind have stood up when called upon using their quick change of direction to penetrate the circle edge. The Pulse are littered with youth through the midcourt in the likes of Maddy Gordon, Renee Savai’inaea and Paris Lokotui and while they have plenty of talent may struggle to match it with the Magpies. Claire Kersten however, will be a key cog for the Pulse and will have to carry a heavy workload to feed the ball into the shooters.

In the goal circle the Pulse have a wealth of talent with tall timber Aliyah Dunn a commanding presence under the post and able to hold strong. She can get on the move when needed and pairs well with the likes of goal attack, Ameliaranne Ekenasio who is renowned for her strong baseline drives, accuracy and sweeping action across the top of the circle. Tiana Metuarau is another handy option in the circle for Pulse able to come on and have an impact with her timing and skill. But Collingwood have showed they have a wealth of defensive stars with Geva Mentor able to read the play and pick off incoming passes while Matilda Garrett has taken her game to the next level with Mel Bragg showcasing her class switching between wing defence and circle defence.

Northern Mystics v. Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic

Despite both sides not featuring in the ANZ Premiership finals, some off-season recruits and change ups has seen them put out strong performances and finish second in their respective pools. The battle between the Mystics and Magic will be an interesting one with both sides not willing to give an inch, however the key difference will be the shooting circle.

The Magic have fiddled with their starting shooting combination with the likes of Georgia Marshall and Abigail Latu-Meafou rotating through the circle while Kelsey McPhee often held down the fort and led the way with her strong movement, accuracy to post and positioning. With a mix of youth and experience the Mystics defenders in Sulu Fitzpatrick and Phoenix Karaka will have their work cut out for them. Fitzpatrick can contest the ball in the air thanks to her leap and athleticism while Karaka and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson are renowned for their smothering pressure.

Through the midcourt Whitney Souness, Ariana Cable-Dixon and Sam Sinclair have all combined to be a formidable force and move the ball through each third. Souness has not skipped a beat since switching to the Magic and will be aiming to keep that form up throughout the semi-final while Sinclair has showed her versatility to move between wing defence and centre. Emma Iversen, Tayla Earle and Elisapeta Toeava have also been key for the Mystics delivering carefully crafted passes into the circle.

Goal shooter, Grace Nweke has continued to be a revelation for the Mystics using her height, strength and general netball awareness to punish opponents. She can outmuscle most opponents while her positioning under the post is strong. Despite Nweke doing a bulk of scoring the likes of Bailey Mes and Saviour Tui do a wealth of work out the front and can hit the scoreboard.  The Magic lost Jury over the off-season however have not looked out of place relying on their young guns to carry the load. Holly Fowler has been a valuable pick up pairing well with the likes of Jenna O’Sullivan and Georgia Tong. But this could be one area in which the Mystics could exploit given their lack of experience.