KEY POINTS:
The Canterbury Flames face the most daunting challenge of the three teams battling for the two remaining semifinal places in the National Bank Cup netball competition.
Entering the final round robin matches starting tomorrow, Friday, Canterbury must beat the pacesetting Southern Sting to keep their season alive.
The Sting and second-placed Force have already cemented their top-four spots, and the emphasis for them now on securing a home semifinal.
Canterbury, defending champions Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic and the Auckland Diamonds must all win to stay in the race.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty will be encouraged by their win over the Force last week but they must be wary of a talented Otago Rebels.
Although out of contention, Otago would like nothing better than to throw a spanner in the works and finish their campaign with a flourish.
Barring upsets of huge proportions, the Force should have few problems against the Capital Shakers and similarly, Auckland will be largely untroubled to take the points against the Flyers.
Canterbury were in a similar position last year and triumphed with a rare win against the Sting to make the playoffs, but coach Marg Foster is taking a more cautious approach this time around.
Key aspects for her side will be to rattle Sting playmaker Donna Wilkins and to tweak aspects of a new gameplan.
"It's nothing fancy and just a challenge for the players who have embraced the idea of a different style when necessary," Foster said.
"We just want to be a little bit innovative. We have nudged our style a wee bit because you can't stay the same. You've got to give new ideas a crack and continue to evolve."
Foster said the Sting had recruited very well this year in acquiring shooter Daneka Wipiiti, midcourter Liana Barrett-Chase and defender Erika Burgess.
Apart from a narrow opening round loss, the Sting have been in dominant form.
Coach Robyn Broughton has been heartened by the emergence of the newcomers and the prominence they have shown as the season has progressed.
Full of praise for regulars, such as Wilkins, Adine Wilson, Jenny Ferguson and Megan Hutton, Broughton said Barrett-Chase and Wipiiti were playing major roles in the team.
While the Sting like to play at pace, retaining possession is the key issue for Broughton.
"We just want to stick to our gameplan and go with care and intensity," she said.
Making a late season charge, Waikato-Bay of Plenty are treating each game as a final.
"I was hugely impressed and proud of what the girls did last week," coach Noeline Taurua said.
"We have turned a corner but we're still not quite there yet. It will just take one thing to turn it, we are very close."
"Historically, the Rebels have always pushed us or beaten us, so we're going to have to be on our toes.
Round seven draw:
Friday: Otago Rebels v Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, Dunedin.
Saturday: Canterbury Flames v Southern Sting, Christchurch.
Sunday: Auckland Diamonds v Flyers, Waitakere; Capital Shakers v Force, Wellington.
- NZPA
