Netball: Success primes team for real challenge

Auckland Waitakere achieved their objective in the opening rounds of the national provincial netball championships, but the real challenges lie ahead.

In Pool B at New Plymouth, they picked up comfortable wins over Tasman 76-34, Western 59-41 and Bay of Plenty 64-32.

But they have yet to meet the formidable Southland and Waikato sides in the Scottwood Trust-sponsored competition.

Auckland Waitakere coach Paula Bailey said her team achieved their goal, which was to win all three games, but have plenty to work on.

"We are still settling on different combinations. I think some strong ones came through in patches and we are where we wanted to be going into the first week."

Waikato and Southland recorded two wins each and a draw.

The 48-all draw between Waikato and Southland was the match of the weekend in New Plymouth.

Waikato, who had all of their Silver Ferns on court - Irene van Dyk, Laura Langman, Joline Henry and Casey Williams - led 30-20 at halftime but Southland's decision to move Natalie Avellino from wing attack to goal shoot made a huge difference.

Avellino's partnership with former Fern Donna Loffhagen and the slick feeding of Fern captain Adine Wilson helped the southerners claw back.

By three-quarter time Waikato's lead was reduced to just five and then to nothing as Southland, who are more or less the Sting franchise side, stormed into the lead.

With just seconds to play, Southland were one goal up but Waikato had possession and van Dyk netted to secure the draw.

Waikato, finalists in last year's competition, were patchy this weekend. Defensively and through the midcourt they played well. Their main problem was on attack in wing attack and goal attack where they have had a couple of changes following the retirement of Amigene Metcalfe and the loss of Anna Senio.

Waikato co-captain van Dyk didn't think her side's patchiness was because it was the start of the competition or an effect of the Silver Ferns' month off after the Australian series.

"The Silver Fern players have come back really, really strong," she said.

"Maybe it comes down to the inexperience of the other girls in our team ... the need to step up and play at that level for 60 minutes."

The final match in New Plymouth yesterday pitted Southland and Silver Ferns captain Adine Wilson against her older sister, Western's wing defence, Leah Goodwin.

Wilson played the first half at centre but moved into wing attack in the second half which put her directly against her sister.

It was the first time the two have played against each other.

"There were times where I thought I had her," Goodwin said. "Then boom, she'd be gone."

The sides were tied 14-all in the first quarter but Southland slowly edged away to win comfortably 62-39.

In Christchurch in the Pool A matches, Canterbury, who are virtually the Flames franchise side, completed a clean run.

While little could be taken from their first two games, where they trounced Counties Manukau 89-24 and Eastern 73-21, they will take plenty of confidence from their 51-42 win over defending champions North.

Canterbury held a four-goal lead in the first two quarters before edging ahead in the third quarter to lead 38-30 going into the final period.


State of play

* The 12 first division teams have been divided into two pools. A round robin competition has started in each pool. The first three games were played over the weekend. Pool A was in Christchurch, Pool B in New Plymouth.

* The remainder of the championship will be contested in a week-long tournament at Auckland's Trusts Stadium starting next Monday.