Netball: Force favour quiet buildup

By JULIE ASH

The Force have kept to themselves in their buildup to the national league but come next weekend coach Yvonne Willering is confident they'll be match ready.

Unlike many of their National Bank Cup rivals, the Force have not ventured across the Tasman for matches against Australian club sides.

They also decided against playing in a pre-season tournament in Te Awamutu alongside the Auckland Diamonds, Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, the Otago Rebels and the Western Flyers.

"We didn't go to Australia because we didn't need to," Willering said.

"We are not going to be playing against that Australian style. Obviously some teams have used it as an opportunity to get the team together, get different combinations out on court and make their final selections.

"I am in a very fortunate position. I have 12 skilled players and we have a number of combinations open to us."

The only National Bank Cup teams the Force have played are the Western Flyers in a promotional game and the Auckland Diamonds in an extended practise match.

"I don't see the point of playing against other teams because you would never expose anything you have got. You always tend to hold back," Willering said.

"I prefer us to train amongst ourselves and bring in some different opposition so you can really try out combinations and work on tactics."

The North Shore-based side have retained eight players from the side that was edged out by the Southern Sting in last year's final.

Current Silver Ferns Sheryl Scanlan (nee Clarke) and Temepara Clark are two of the key elements in the side with former Silver Ferns Linda Vagana, Daneka Wipiiti and Teresa Tairi.

New to the side are Fijian representatives Matelita Shaw and Matila Waqanidrola, former Auckland Diamonds shooter Julie Kelman-Poto and former Counties and Manukau player Fleur Bell.

Waqanidrola played for North Harbour in the National Provincial Championships whereas Shaw is entirely new to the competition.

"We have been fortunate in that we have been together as a team since the end of January, whereas a team like Auckland only got Kathryn Harby-Williams quite recently so if you look at it like that, we have had quite a good buildup really," Willering said.

"But we are aware the competition is less than two weeks away and we are picking up the pace. Although the first game is significant it is important to remember the competition goes through until June."

An interesting aspect of this year's competition is the high number of imports involved.

Of the eight teams in the competition just the Otago Rebels and the Canterbury Flames are without overseas players.

The Force have Shaw, the Diamonds former Australian captain Harby-Williams, the Magic South African midcourter Liezel Wium, the Flyers Australian shooter Joanne Morgan, the Shakers English centre Karen Aspinall and the Sting Australian midcourter Natalie Avellino.

Whether or not that will strengthen the competition, Willering is not sure.

"It depends how they slot in," she said.

"It could end up a close competition."

And that is likely to be the trend again this season.

The National Bank Cup starts April 17 and runs through until June 18.

The results

1998: 5th

1999: 3rd

2000: 4th

2001: 5th

2002: 3rd

2003: 2nd

The lineup

Fleur Bell, Temepara Clark, Kate Dowling, Kimberley Horton, Julie Kelman-Poto, Sheryl Scanlan (nee Clarke), Teresa Tairi, Linda Vagana, Daneka Wipiiti, Angelina Yates, Matelita Shaw and Matila Waqanidrola.