KEY POINTS:
While the Sting carried out their calculated decimation of defending national champs the Magic on Saturday afternoon, the Force were in midair and oblivious to the pandemonium below.
Maybe the Force should have taken a later flight, watched the game and picked up pointers on how to take charge of a game and keep it like that.
When they took the court against the Rebels in Dunedin yesterday, it wasn't until the last 30 seconds that the Force stole the lead, and a 50-49 win.
Even though their styles couldn't have been more different, the outcome for the Sting and the Force was the same - joint leaders of the National Bank Cup with three rounds to go.
It is a tenuous lead, with five teams now all within a point of each other.
The Diamonds strengthened their case for a semifinal place with an uneven 48-36 win over the Shakers yesterday. The Aucklanders now share third with the Magic and the Flames, who beat wooden-spooners the Flyers on Saturday.
The Sting's total supremacy over the Magic, the dominant team of the past two seasons, not only made them the team to beat, but gave hope to all other franchises who have struggled to halt the Magic's incessant flow of ball to Irene van Dyk.
"Quite frankly, they are predictable, and New Zealand netball needs a change from it," Sting coach Robyn Broughton said of the Magic. "We made it more exciting for people to watch."
The Sting's success in the 65-44 victory was in their defence - in particular, goal keep Megan Hutton, who made life a misery for van Dyk by blocking her from the Magic feeders.
Leana de Bruin was outstanding in defence for the Force yesterday, grabbing an intercept that was converted into the winning goal with less than a minute to go.
Even though Force goal attack Megan Dehn kept a cool head, potting 24 of 26 attempts, the Force found it hard to pierce the Rebels' defensive wall fortified by Australian import Demelza Fellowes.
"We got too caught up in their game of tight one-on-one marking, and again, we had a bit of trouble getting the ball in to our shooters," Force coach Yvonne Willering said. "But at the end of the day it's three points."
The same could be said by Diamonds coach Sue Hawkins, as the Aucklanders stuttered in the first half against a gritty Shakers side, led by experienced midcourter Frances Solia and promising keeper Victoria Smith.
The Diamonds played catch-up to be 20-20 at halftime, but fell into a faster, stronger rhythm when Hawkins introduced her ace attacking trio - Maria Tutaia, Paula Griffin and Grace Rasmussen. Silver Fern Anna Scarlett was at her brilliant stroppy best, snaffling loose ball and intercepts at both goal keep and in the second half, goal defence.
"We created a lot of errors, especially turnovers, and it wasn't until the last quarter that we finally got our ball speed going," Hawkins said.
It was the story of the young Shakers' season - three quarters of gutsy intensity that they couldn't sustain.
"It's forward movement from last year, and in our three-year plan we are where we should be, I guess," coach Wai Taumaunu said.
"But next year's Tasman Trophy has thrown our plan out the window."
But even when the competition looks closer than it has for years, Taumaunu predicts the final will be more of the same.
"It will be a Magic-Sting final - my apologies to Yvonne - but the interesting thing will be if someone like the Force can jump and surprise everyone in the semis.
"We've played the Sting and the Magic, when they put their foot down they go to a different level."
