It’s all over, folks. Thanks for joining us.
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The Diamonds’ win means that the Constellation Cup will stay in Australia for another year at least. During the presentations, Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman graciously praises the Diamonds for their consistency but warned that her team was “comin’ for them!”.
Diamonds captain Caitlin Bassett thanks the New Zealand fans for their dedication tot he game, before hoisting the cup with her team.
Australia and New Zealand will battle in one more game before the big one, the Netball World Cup, to be hosted by Liverpool in England next year.
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Full-time: Diamonds 58-47 Silver Ferns
Congratulations to the Diamonds, who have not only beaten the Silver Ferns to win the Constellation Cup, but decimated them. Australia bolted the moment the whistle blew in the first quarter with the sort of energy that a bull in a china shop could only hope for. But it wasn’t wild or impromptu play, but a tightly executed plan that relied on an outstanding defence and a goals team that turned opportunities into goals, something New Zealand couldn’t do anywhere near as neatly. It was the second quarter that Australia really let loose and were almost frightening in their precision and athleticism. New Zealand were almost shell-shocked at the intensity of their rivals’ attack, especially as they were quietly confident that they could make it two wins in a row against the Diamonds.
I think we all need to lie down for a while to recover from that.
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Q4 4:57 Diamonds 56-39 Silver Ferns
I’m going to go wild and make an educated guess that Australia will win.
Q4 6:50 Diamonds 54-37 Silver Ferns
New Zealand adds some points, which the crowd in Wellington gladly accepts - despite the gaming seemingly decided, the Silver Ferns’ fans were wrapped that their team was still giving it a go. The Diamonds’ Bassett continues to stand in the way of New Zealand winning their second Constellation Cup.
Q4 12:08 Diamonds 50-34 Silver Ferns
Australia launch the fourth quarter with a quick goal...and then another goal...and another. New Zealand squeezed one goal in but their time at their end of the court was limited. There’s a few more changes to the Silver Ferns, but nothing seems to have stuck in this game, all the while Australia just keeps putting distance between themselves and New Zealand on the scoreboard.
Three-quarter-time Diamonds 46-33 Silver Ferns
It was a rough n’ rumble type of quarter, with the scoring slowing down and the Silver Ferns clearly getting fatigued. Meanwhile, Australia’s defence was so sharp so you chop a dodgy tomato with it.
Just one more quarter to go. It looks like this game, and this series, has Australia’s name written all over it.
Q3 2:56 Diamonds 44-32 Silver Ferns
New Zealand’s erratic consistentsy can be seen in their score - they’ve hit an additional three goals so far this quarter, compared to Australia’s six. Scoring overall has slowed down a bit, which is expected, given the extraordinary intensity the first two quarters witnessed. There’s a fair few fans on social media complaining about the umpriering, with claims of inconsistencies and that they have no control over the game. Wonder what the coaches think?
Q3 8:50 Diamonds 39-28 Silver Ferns
The Diamond’s Kelsey Browne took a nasty knock to the ground, but she bounced back quickly, despite falling backwards. The Diamonds are still full of beans and their co-ordinated play is so smooth that they’re leaving no gaps for the Silver Ferns to penetrate. They’ve opened the gap in the score by 11 goals, but given the recent memory of their loss just four days again, don’t expect the Diamonds to become complacent.
Q3 14:17 Diamonds 33-24 Silver Ferns
We’re back!
There’s definitely a difference in energy between the Diamonds and the Silver Ferns, but the difference in shooting precision isn’t all that big - 84 per cent (AUS) compared to 77 per cent (NZL).
The Australian’s motto for this match, I believe, is a quote from Rihanna: “Shine bright like a diamond” (Sorry not sorry).
We’re at the half-way point now and despite Australia completely dominating the game this point, there’s still only eight points between the two sides. If New Zealand has any chance of taking home the Constellation Cup, then it needs to not only slow down the Diamonds’ control of the ball, but they also need some vitamin B - they’re looking a bit tired. They’ve proven that they can match, and beat, Australia, but so far they’ve left their best somewhere else.
Half-time Diamonds 32-24 Silver Ferns
Some NZ fans on social media have accused Australia of ‘playing dirty’, but that’s not what the officials say. It has, however, been a lightning quarter that Australia made its own. New Zealand made another change, with Watson back and Katrina Grant out. But whatever the reason behind the change, it didn’t change the pace of the quarter, which finished with the ball in New Zealand’s hands, quite literally, but the score in Australia’s favour.
Q2 4:14 Diamonds 31-21 Silver Ferns
Australia started to pull away from the start of the second quarter and brought some gutsy play to dominate the ball. New Zealand demonstrated some nice, tight play but they simply can’t concert those movements into goals.
Q2 8:09 Diamonds 28-18 Silver Ferns
After nine consecutive goals, Australia showed a bit of vulnerability, but New Zealand failed to capitalise on it. It didn’t last long, with Australia continuing to dominate with possessions. At the nine-minute mark, New Zealand’s Jane Watson subbed with Sulu Fitzpatrick, who’s a strong player in defence. Australia have widened the distance to 10 goals now.
Q2 12:51 Diamonds 21-14 Silver Ferns
We’re back after a thrilling first quarter, and continuing the narrative, Australia was first to score in Q2, which was quickly followed by a goal from New Zealand. Bassett remains a sticking point for the Silver Ferns.
Quarter-time Diamonds 18-13 Silver Ferns
The Diamond’s Caitlin Bassett was ferocious with the ball this first quarter, showing an eagerness to make up for Australia’s loss four times ago. During the last five minutes of the quarter, Australia hit the accelerator, creating a five-goal break with two-minutes til the end of the quarter. The sharpness in their play, and precision, gave New Zealand little room to grab the ball.
Q1 5:00 Diamonds 11-10 Silver Ferns
Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander promised that her team would bring the intensity, but both sides seem to have answered that call. There’s a level of energy and excitement that’s bouncing off this court. The scoreboard is stalking itself, with one point only separating the teams almost every goal.
Q1 9:15 Diamonds 6-5 Silver Ferns
The series final has kicked off with a bang, with an energised New Zealand scoring the first goal in the opening seconds. The home crowd is matching the player’s energy with volume, cheering on their team. Australia took a few minutes to get some numbers on the board and matching New Zealand 2-2. Australia seemed nervous and on edge in those first few minutes but quickly gained their composure.
It’s a sold-out crowd for the final, with 3200 fans watching live in Wellington.
The national anthems are coming out, which reminds me once again that I have no idea what “girt by sea” means.
New Zealand’s strength lays in their defence, which crushed the Australian side just four days ago. It’s interesting to note that throughout the series, Australia have made significant changes in its line-up. It’s a policy that coach Lisa Alexander likes, because it gives her flexibility, but some commentators have noted that so many changes means the team hasn’t made a chance to work as a cohesive team.
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Here is the line-up for both teams:
Australia
GK – Courtney Bruce
GD – Jo Weston
WD – Gabi Simpson
C – Liz Watson
WA – Kelsey Browne
GA – Gretel Tippett
GS – Caitlin Bassett
New Zealand
GK – Jane Watson
GD – Katrina Grant
WD – Sam Sinclair
C – Laura Langman
WA – Gina Crampton
GA – Te Paea Selby-Rickit
GS – Maria Folau
...Or we could actually settle this series with a classic game of ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’, and since diamonds are clearly heavier than ferns, I guess Australia would win!
Australia have won the Constellation Cup seven times in a row - every year since 2013. But New Zealand won back in 2012 and if they win this year, it will be the second time they get their hands on the silverware. Diamonds coach is determined that the cup stays this side of Tasman and has put her players through a rigerous training schedule since the two sides last met just four days ago. She told the media that the reining campaigns didn’t bring their “full intesity” to the match. An inform New Zealand and determined Australia should make for some fireworks on the court.
Don’t forget to stay in touch - email or tweet me about your thoughts during the game.
Preamble
Welcome to what is expected to big night of netball. The impressive Diamonds will go head-to-head against their old foes, New Zealand in Wellington for the Constellation Cup. Both teams played against each other just last month, when they battled for the Quad Series, which Australia won with a clean sweep of all three competitors. New Zealand will be seeking revenge, but they go into tonight’s match as underdogs, with Australia already leading the series 2-1. A win tonight will cement their seventh consecutive win since 2013. But it’s still possible for the Silver Ferns to make a comeback; if they win by 14 goals or more, they win the series - for the second time. With a new coach and increased confidence from their recent win against the Diamonds (55-44) in the third Constellation Cup Test - ending a nine-game losing streak - there is plenty of room for an upset. And if New Zealand does win, it will be their first back-to-back win against the current world champions in three years.
Last time they met: New Zealand took advantage of an ill-disciplined Australia, showcasing real progress since the Quad Series. The Aussies never met the expectations they’ve set for themselves, fizzling in all four quarters.
New Zealand goal keep Jane Watson was a star in that match and the Diamonds will be keen to shut her down. But where Australia did do well, ironically, was in penalties, scoring 81 penalties to New Zealand’s 45.
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