Netball: Steel fight hard but van Dyk turns on the Magic

ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP
Waikato/BoP Magic 54
Southern Steel 47

It was just an hour short of game time when the Southern Steel's Te Huinga Selby-Rickit got the call-up from coach Robyn Broughton.

And what an assignment. Mark one of the world's best goal shooters, Irene van Dyk.

There was no fairytale ending - van Dyk shot 100 per cent yesterday, goaling all 38 attempts.

Selby-Rickit was pleased with her performance - but was quick to point out there was room for improvement.

"When I got told, at first, I was shocked and quite nervous," Selby-Rickit said. "But I have a lot to work on. Just the quick feet and being able to move around her and she just loves driving that baseline."

Unlike last year's battle with feisty Steel goal keeper Megan Hutton, van Dyk was not greatly tested.

Steel captain Adine Wilson believed Selby-Rickit demonstrated promise, but recognised the potential impact Hutton - who was ruled out after straining an Achilles in Steel's first-round match against Central Pulse - could have had on the game.

"I think Te Huinga did really well, but there's no doubt that Megan has a real presence on court," Wilson told the Herald on Sunday.

While Selby-Rickit was successful in marking van Dyk's feeder, her desire to surge ahead gave the Magic attackers enough space to get the ball to the Silver Fern shooter who who had free reign along the baseline. The young Southlander, like many in her team, faded in the final quarter as the Magic came home in trademark strong style.



Despite leaving Tauranga with a loss to the 2008 ANZ Championship minor premiers, the Steel can take heart in knowing they were by no means outclassed.

"I think we did great," Wilson said. "We would have liked to go away with the win, but we showed we were in it until the last three minutes."

From the outset, the Steel was able to frustrate the home side by filling up the mid-section of the centre third, making a ball feed in and around the circle, a considerable challenge.

Magic started the second quarter more assertively than in the first.

One down going into the break, Magic cut down the minor infractions which dogged their opening quarter performance, including stepping and missed passes.

At times, the intensity and frenetic pace of the game was such that the game plan was forgotten. With both teams striving for ascendancy, structure was jeopardised.

After staying in touch with the home side for the first three quarters, the Invercargill-based Steel hit the wall in the final 15 minutes.

"We always knew it was going to be hard against them," Broughton said.

Magic coach Noeline Taurua was succinct. "It was a good win, but it was a hard win. For the first few quarters, we were both going goal for goal. There was a lot of competition out on court."

Magic will now turn their attention to a repeat of last year's grand final when they host the New South Wales Swifts in Hamilton on April 20.

1st quarter: Magic 12 Steel 13; Half time: Magic 27 Steel 23; 3rd quarter: Magic 40 Steel 37.