Netball: Taylor-Chaffey eager to mark

Jaydi Taylor-Chaffey (left) and Briana Stephenson will play against each other for their respective Hawke's Bay Super 6 premier netball teams tonight.

Hawke's Bay netballer Jaydi Taylor-Chaffey admitted to being "a bit gutted" when she left the international secondary schools tournament in Auckland earlier this month.

The New Zealand Maori Secondary Schools midcourter wasn't upset with the team's bronze medal. Third was where the team was expected to finish behind the New Zealand and Australian Secondary Schools teams.

Taylor-Chaffey, 17, was disappointed she never got to play against her Napier Girls' High School teammate and fellow midcourter Briana Stephenson when the Maori team took on Stephenson's gold medal-winning New Zealand side in the eight-team event.

"Briana got both games against the Aussies but didn't play in both games against us," Taylor-Chaffey recalled.

The pair haven't played against each other since their year 8 rep days when Stephenson played for Central and Taylor-Chaffey for Napier. Both are eagerly looking forward to marking each other when their respective unbeaten Hawke's Bay Super 6 premier teams, All In Elusive and Otane Thirsty Whale clash at Woodford House tonight.

Taylor-Chaffey is likely to start at goal defence before moving out to wing defence where she will mark Stephenson during her stints at wing attack. The daughter of Becs Taylor, a multiple Hawke's Bay premier club championship title winner with Otane in her playing days and former Central Vikings and Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby hooker Mike Chaffey, Taylor-Chaffey, reluctantly accepted the favourite's tag on behalf of her club which has won the last 10 premier titles.

Taylor-Chaffey pointed out Otane, like All In, are still experimenting. She is rapt she is able to alternate between the defensive circle and midcourt because the national selectors believe her future is as a midcourter.

Stephenson, 16, hopes to have most of her court time at centre tonight but will be happy to have a stint at wing attack so she has the opportunity to mark Taylor-Chaffey who she trained alongside last night during the Hawke's Bay under-17 team's training session.

"As long as we give Otane a good run I'll be happy. This isn't the time in a season to peak," Stephenson said.

"If we put it all out there on the court and our new players continue to come together it will be good," she added.

All In coach Charissa Barham agreed her team's below-par shooting statistics in recent weeks suggest the game will be a tough ask. One of her shooters, Melissa Ellmers, returns from an overseas trip this morning while another Kia Diamond is likely to be playing one or two more games because she is pregnant.

"We're not going to throw the game but watching how different combinations function against hard opposition will be my priority," Barham added.

Diamond will be a major loss at the business end of the season as her experience in the attacking circle and composure on defence is top shelf.

The other unbeaten side, Hastings High School Old Girls' Proactive Huias, should prove too strong for winless Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri at Napier's Sacred Heart College. While winless Central Sports Vet Services HB will be keen to capitalise on the home court advantage at Waipukurau they will still find the going tough against Outkast Optimise Physio.

Rd 4 Super 6

Tonight's draws:

* AW Parsons Stadium, Waipukurau 7pm: Central Sports Vet Services HB v Outkast Optimise Physio.
Umpires: T Gardiner & N Corbett.

* Woodford House, Havelock North 7.15pm: Otane Thirsty Whale v All In Elusive.
Umpires: P Castles & K Ives.

* Sacred Heart College, Napier 7.15pm: Hastings High School Old Girls' Proactive Huias v Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri.
Umpires: J Varcoe & K Jones.