ENGLAND Roses have made history, coming back from a huge 10-goal half-time deficit against the Silver Ferns to claim the Cadbury Netball Series sealer and Taini Jamison Trophy, as well as their maiden test series win against New Zealand on home soil. The Roses scored just 16 goals in the first half before flying out of the blocks in the second half, blowing the Ferns away to come away with an incredible 49-45 victory in Christchurch. Notably, the Ferns suffered some big losses prior to the match with captain
Gina Crampton, vice-captain
Sulu Fitzpatrick and goal attack
Tiana Metuarau all ruled out with injury, though gave England credit where it was due after the stunning comeback.
While it was the Roses that got away to a hot start, it was the Ferns that really settled first with a huge first quarter culminating in the
Kelly Jury show. The towering goal keeper took no prisoners, forcing errors from her direct opposition in
George Fisher, with the Game 2 player of the match flustered by Jury’s ability to track her. At the other end though, it was
Sophie Drakeford-Lewis‘ way or the highway, with the goal attack proving she is more than a typical goal attack with her accuracy to post and ability to command control in attack. While Jury and
Karin Burger worked in overdrive to deny Fisher easy access to ball, Drakeford-Lewis ran rampant, combining seamlessly with a fired up
Serena Guthrie who looked to be in vintage form. At the other end it was a fresh goal circle with
Maia Wilson starting in goal shooter as
Te Paea Selby-Rickit had a second chance at a start out in goal attack, proving much more comfortable in her preferred position this time around and looking calm and composed with ball in hand. A Ferns purple patch saw the Roses lose their early three-goal buffer as the home nation pulled back into the contest, despite the heavy attention of
Layla Guscoth and
Geva Mentor in the goal circle. The Roses’ centre pass issues crept back in from the first test as the Ferns took control, and while it did not look it on the scoreboard at 12-apiece at the first break, the Ferns were only just getting started.
A huge second quarter from the Ferns opened with some
Sam Winders magic, as the wing defence weaved her way through traffic to spur her side into action. The stand-in captain for the test, Winders led from the back, transitioning seamlessly down court off the back of continuous efforts from Jury and Burger, and while the Roses worked in overdrive to limit the Ferns speed down court, for every ball they won back an error came with it as the penalty count – standing at a whopping 30-15 at half-time – came into play. While the Ferns attack still did not seem to be firing at full capacity, it was the defensive effort that paved the way for the side as Jury, Burger, Winders and
Claire Kersten continued to apply pressure, forcing error upon error as the Roses grew impatient feeding into the circle, playing predictably, not smart. Selby-Rickit stepped up to the plate with her playmaking skills, growing in confidence and working in tandem with
Shannon Saunders to continuously find ball in the attack. A huge 14-4 second quarter saw the Ferns head into half-time with a 10-goal lead, setting up a huge second half.
England head coach
Jess Thirlby asked her Roses for better in the third quarter, and better she got with a change in attack – seeing
Ellie Cardwell suit up in goal shooter and Drakeford-Lewis back in goal attack after a short stint on the bench – and a newfound intensity in the midcourt pressure credit to the defensive minds of Guthrie,
Imogen Allison and
Laura Malcolm. Despite some wasted opportunities off the back of shaky passes and Jury’s continued dominance, the Roses came out with a hunger as they forced hesitance from the Ferns attack. While the Ferns still led by a significant margin, they lacked the confidence they showcased so ominously in the second quarter, hesitant to release ball into the goal circle with
Fran Williams and Mentor out hunting. Soon the Roses had reduced the margin to a much more achievable five-goal buffer, leading the quarter as first
Noeline Taurua made the centre change with
Kimiora Poi granted an opportunity to prove herself, before Thirlby injected
Jade Clarke into the action with just under five minutes remaining in the quarter. Both players worked their way into the match remarkably well, although both sides continued to waste the wealth of turnover ball that was won back for them. The Ferns had a game on their hands at the end of the term, with the Roses trailing by just four goals to whittle away the Ferns’ dominance in one fell swoop.
The final 15 minutes were relentless, with the Roses out hunting as Guthrie returned to the court in wing defence. The Roses captain left no stone unturned as she raced around the court, combining effortlessly with both circle defenders in Williams and Mentor as the combination between Drakeford-Lewis and Cardwell well and truly came to life. The two attackers used their respective evasiveness and read of the play to negate the efforts of Jury and Burger, evening up the ledger to 37 goals apiece within the opening five minutes of the quarter. While the Ferns maintained accuracy in front of goal, the ball stopped coming as the Roses’ confidence grew and the bench got louder. The Ferns caused more penalties in the final quarter than they did in the entire first half, as the physicality ramped up and neither side relented in the huge contest, with the Roses turning the tides and holding a two goal buffer as the quarter hit its halfway point. Taurua again rang in the changes with
Georgia Tong earning her maiden cap in goal keeper as
Peta Toeava hit the court in wing attack, but it was too little too late as the Roses ran away with a historic 49-45 victory, capped off by a player of the match award to captain Guthrie.
It was England’s ability to adjust to the whistle after half time that saw them through the contest, with the influential performance from Guthrie (three intercepts, nine goal assists, four pickups) backed up by Malcolm (25 goal assists) and the defensive trio of Mentor, Williams and Guscoth (four gains from seven deflections, two intercepts and one rebound). Drakeford-Lewis (11 goals from 12 attempts) and Fisher (13 goals) both contributed, while Cardwell was the topscorer for the Roses with 25 goals at 96 per cent. For the Ferns, Jury and Burger combined for five gains from their two intercepts and 10 deflections, while Selby-Rickit was the real maestro in attack with 20 goal assists and 16 goals to her name. Wilson put up 29 goals from 33 attempts in a fairly accurate showing, while Winders was a workhorse throughout the entire contest despite it not showing on the stats sheet.
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NEW ZEALAND SILVER FERNS | 12 | 14 | 10 | 9 (45)
ENGLAND ROSES | 12 | 4 | 16 | 17 (49)
MATCH MVP: Serena Guthrie (England Roses)
STARTING SEVENS:
