Netball: Mystics dump the hype ahead of clash with Magic

Temepara George is part of the Mystics firepower. Photo / Brett Phibbs

After falling short of their own hype earlier in the season, the Northern Mystics appear to have absorbed a few stern lessons heading into their round-seven showdown against the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic.

The Mystics will get their second crack at the Magic on Monday night, after being humbled 55-46 by the Waikato side in round three of the transtasman league.

There was plenty of tough talking coming from the Auckland camp before that first meeting with the Magic.

But their grand plans of waltzing in and snatching the tag as number one Kiwi side turned out to be grand delusions, with the Magic out-gunning the Mystics in every department.

After most netball fans were licking their lips in anticipation of a tight, ferocious tussle, the nine-goal margin was anti-climatic.

Eager to avoid the same public disappointment this time around, the Mystics have preferred to keep their heads down and adopted a more low-key approach to their build-up to Monday night's clash.

Former Magic players Maria Tutaia and Joline Henry were gently steered away from the media this week as the Mystics tried to downplay the revenge factor going into this match.

Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan admitted her side were bitterly disappointed with their last performance against the Magic, but believes the Mystics are now a more confident and cohesive unit.

"I think the disappointment was we started so poorly and made a number of errors in that game," said Keenan. "But that was where we were at at the time. So it will be interesting to gauge our progress from that."

The Mystics broke a three-match losing streak against the Canterbury Tactix last weekend, but another loss on Monday will put them back in the red (three wins, four losses) at the halfway point of the season.

It would leave the Auckland side with a very steep hill to climb if they are to make their maiden semifinal appearance, but Keenan said playoff calculations are not entering her side's mind at this point.

"We're not focusing on that aspect, we're focusing on the fact we've really got to play well to achieve what we want, which is the win. If we look at what potentially could happen should we not, it could knock us and be too stressful for us."

While it caused a few red faces, the extra hype did achieve one thing for the Mystics - a sold-out stadium for their clash against their neighbouring franchise.

The Magic will hope the fixture can draw similar crowds in Hamilton on Monday night, with New Zealand's glamour side struggling to draw in the spectators this year.

In the only other game in Hamilton this season, Mystery Creek was less than 60 per cent full for the Magic's rivalry round clash against the West Coast Fever.

Rotorua's Energy Events Centre was little over half full when the Southern Steel came to town in round two.

Monday's match will be the second of the round's two big local derbies, with the Canterbury Tactix hosting the Steel in Christchurch today.

The Tactix are coming off five straight losses, and will be looking to salvage their 2010 season in front of their home crowd.

But the most highly anticipated game of the round will be across the Tasman, with the table-topping NSW Swifts - the 2008 title holders - set to take on the defending champion Melbourne Vixens in what has been dubbed the "clash of the premiers".

The Vixens' record-breaking 11-week winning streak came to an end last week at the hands of the Queensland Firebirds who handed the Melbourne side their biggest loss, 62-41.

In the other all-Australian match-up, the Firebirds will meet the West Coast Fever in Brisbane in Monday night's late game.

ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 7

Today: 2.20pm Canterbury Tactix v Southern Steel, Christchurch.

Tomorrow: 4.50pm NSW Swifts v Melbourne Vixens, Sydney.

Monday: 7.20pm Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic v Northern Mystics, Hamilton; 9.05pm Queensland Firebirds v West Coast Fever, Brisbane.

BYE: Central Pulse, Adelaide Thunderbirds.