Netball: National pride looms large in battles this week

Casey Williams (right) and her Magic teammates will hope to be the first NZ team to win in Australia. Photo / Sarah Ivey

It may be a franchise-based competition, but with the New Zealand and Australian teams pitting themselves against each other week-in, week-out, the ANZ Championship has inevitably become about national pride.

In the new era of the transtasman league, deep-seated domestic rivalry more often than not has given way to national allegiance. Remember those teams you previously couldn't stand in the old domestic competition? Now, all of sudden you don't mind them winning if it means bringing down Aussie opposition.

To further fuel that transtasman rivalry, league organisers have developed the concept of "Rivalry Round", with this weekend's five matches all being New Zealand v Australia encounters.

During round 13, goals scored by the Kiwi teams are tallied against those scored by the Aussies. The country that amasses the most goals by Monday night will be the winner of the Rivalry Round trophy.

ANZ Championship general manager Anthony Everard believes the round will sharpen the edge of an already entertaining competition.

"The ANZ Championship is currently the only true transtasman competition across any code. We want to celebrate that and create something more for fans to get behind, other than the great match-ups we have all been treated to."

Everard plans to make this a regular fixture within the league.

Promoters and press focus on the Rivalry Round, but the teams themselves have more pressing concerns.

For the Southern Steel, Queensland Firebirds and West Coast Fever, their primary motivation will be chasing a playoffs berth, while the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, Melbourne Vixens and Adelaide Thunderbirds will be jostling for better position within the top four.

With so much at stake, this is an intriguing round.

Battle No 1 Mystics v Firebirds, Auckland

With their playoff hopes on the line, the Firebirds venture to Auckland looking to firm up their position in the top four.

The Firebirds haven't impressed over the past couple of rounds, but they were burned on their last visit to New Zealand and they won't want to make the same mistakes again.

The Mystics can make life tough for them. They pushed the Vixens right to the wire last weekend, once again playing their best netball when they were in chase mode.

Predicted outcome: It depends on whether the Mystics can play consistent netball. I suspect not. Chalk up a win for the Aussies here.

Battle No 2 Fever v Magic, Perth

It's the Aussie young guns versus the who's who of New Zealand netball.

Ordinarily you'd say the Magic should easily get past the Fever, but playing across the Tasman throws up a whole raft of unknowns for the visitors. Apparently, no New Zealand side have won in Australia yet.

This match will put the Magic's experience to the test. To come away with the two points their preparation must be flawless and they must adjust to the Aussie umpires.

The Fever, who are coming off a three-goal win over the Swifts, have been one of the surprise packages of the 2009 competition and are still in the hunt for a semifinal spot.

Magic coach Noeline Taurua says the Fever are capable of an upset.

"The Fever are still in with an outside shot of making the top four, so they have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Predicted outcome: The Magic to break the duck. Only because I can't bear to think of the consequences if they don't.

Battle No 3 Pulse v Swifts, Wellington

Few would have thought at the beginning of the season the round-13 meeting between the defending champion Swifts and the Pulse would be a bottom-of-the-table clash.

But such has been the spectacular fall from grace of the Sydney side, they are now lurking one place off the foot of the ladder.

They will be out to restore some pride this weekend against the Central Pulse, who, just to show some things don't change in the ANZ Championship, are still searching for their first win in the competition.

Having been on the receiving end of a couple of 30-goal drubbings in the past two rounds, the Pulse will likewise be eager to put in a strong performance.

Likely result: The Swifts to register just their third win of the season.

Battle No 4 Steel v Thunderbirds, Dunedin

In a weekend of intriguing clashes, Monday night's showdown between the Southern Steel and the Adelaide Thunderbirds is shaping up to be match of the round. The Steel's play-off hopes may have taken a dent after Monday night's loss to the Firebirds, but they played arguably their best game of the season in the two-goal defeat. If they can continue to produce the same sort of form at home, the Thunderbirds will have their hands full this weekend.

The Adelaide side have racked up four big wins over the past four weeks, and look to be peaking at the right time of the season. However, the Thunderbirds were vulnerable in their earlier trip to New Zealand this season, needing extra time to dispatch the Canterbury Tactix.

Steel defender Sheryl Scanlan says having the home advantage gives her side a huge amount of confidence.

"The Thunderbirds are a very, very strong side and they're not just going to come over here and lie down. But we feel that if we do our homework and stop them playing their natural game we can come away with it."

Likely result: The Steel thrive in pressure-cooker situations, they could just cause a boilover.

Battle No 5 Vixens v Tactix, Melbourne

While their fellow top-four aspirants face a pressure-filled run into the playoffs, the Vixens can feel relatively relaxed about the task ahead of them. The Melbourne side are at home to face the seventh-placed Tactix, who despite displaying some strong form in recent weeks aren't expected to pose much of a threat across the Tasman.

Likely result: The Vixens have this one in the bag.

RIVALRY ROUND -
HOW IT WORKS
* Goals scored by the five New Zealand and five Australian teams will be combined to give a national tally for the two countries. The country that scores the highest number of goals will win the Rivalry Round trophy.
* It is therefore conceivable that one country could win three of the games, yet still miss out on the trophy if those wins are all by small margins.