Source : ABC NEWS
Grenvold tip
Jessie Grenvold is absolutely killing it! As Nweke tries to pass out of the circle, she bats the ball away and Australia use the opportunity to add another goal to their tally.
SCORE: Australia lead 33-31
Substitutions
New Zealand made some changes to their line-up to start this quarter. Kimiora Poi gets her first minutes of game time in Sydney at wing attack. Gordon shifts to centre and Kate Heffernan is off.
Important to note, the Diamonds also made a change with 43 seconds left in the second quarter. Bruce came back on in GD, Klau came off and that change has remained coming out of the half-time break.
Long bomb!
Dwyer nails a long-range shot in front of goal and the crowd likes it.
SCORE: Australia lead 28-27
Garbin converts
The Diamonds convert the first centre pass of the third quarter. It sounds too simplistic but with the run of the centre pass, if they can keep converting those from here on, they’ll set the tone and win the game.
SCORE: Australia lead 27-26
NZ defenders combine
With thirty seconds to go, the Silver Ferns win back more ball. Jackson gets a touch on a ball sent into the Australian circle by Watson and Burger pulls it in.
SCORE: Australia lead 26-25
Substitutions
Swifts star Sarah Klau rolls on in goal defence, replacing Courtney Bruce with four minutes left before half-time.
Parmenter chase
Midway through the quarter, it’s the Australians with the edge. In the middle third, on New Zealand’s centre pass, Dwyer gets a deflection and Parmenter chases after it. The Aussies add another to their tally.
SCORE: Australia leads 23-19
Grenvold touch
Grenvold is up and about. She gets a touch on a ball meant for Nweke and the ball rolls forward to the circle edge, but New Zealand is able to pick it up and put the ball throw the net.
SCORE: Australia lead 20-18
Watson’s overthrow
New Zealand are called for a held ball in their goal third, trying to feed Nweke and although Australia transition all the way up the court, the Aussie captain overcooks the feed to her shooters. Ball goes over the back line, it’s a throw in for the opposition and the Silver Ferns finish what they started.
SCORE: Australia leads 16-14
Controversial call
Early in the second quarter, Garbin took the ball on the baseline and had a split stance. But Jackson landed in between her legs and forced her back foot over the line. Throw-in New Zealand. They edge one back on the scoreboard.
Jackson intercept
Jackson has been so dominant throughout this series and the Kiwi goal keeper gets her first gain for game three.
SCORE: Australia leads 15-11
Mammoth feed
The Diamonds win the ball back in New Zealand’s goal third and Parmenter sets up Garbin with a massive ball sent into the circle from the middle third.
SCORE: Australia leads 14-9
GRENVOLD INTERCEPT
Three games into her international career and Jessie Grenvold gets a big cheer! Clean ball, fair and square that Australia manages to convert.
SCORE: Australia leads 11-8
Great shooting combo
This last-minute shooting combo is flourishing! Dwyer misses a shot and Garbin chases the rebound and slots it through the hoop. They’re backing each other up and protecting the ball, setting screens nicely.
SCORE: Australia lead 10-8
Australia hits the lead
The team has lifted! They hold up the Silver Ferns for close to 10 passes in the midcourt on their next centre pass. Then Nweke misses a shot, Parmenter chases after it and taps it back into Grenvold as she falls out of court. The attackers reward their efforts and the Diamonds hit the lead throu.
SCORE: Australia lead 5-4
Scores level
With the next centre pass Australia level the scoreboard.
SCORE: Tied 4-all
Heffernan misses
Georgia Heffernan misses a shot at goal and the Diamonds get the throw-in. A huge cheer inside the arena spurs them down the court in transition. They edge one back.
SCORE: New Zealand lead 4-3
Moloney injury
Oh no. You know those wonderful changes to the line-up we spoke about? With players returning to their favoured positions? That’s been thrown out with the first centre pass. Moloney came off the court with a busted hand. It appears her stitches may have re-opened.
As a result, Watson shifts to centre, Horjus to wing attack and Sophie Dwyer comes off the bench to grabs the goal attack bib.
Offensive contacts an issue
In my coaching experience , lopsided penalty counts can often come when a team under pressure ‘tries that bit harder’. Players lose track of the ball play because they are determined to ‘get there first’ resulting in early or late interventions meaning increased penalties. Coach’s job to keep player mindset correct.
– Phillip
This can be true Phil! But the biggest issue for the Diamonds were the offensive penalties called against their goal shooters in the final quarter. There was at least five called against Donnell Wallam, Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin as they tried to push off the body of Kelly Jackson and get free. It lead to a lot of turnover.
The start is important
Speaking on Friday in Sydney, Marinkovich told ABC Sport reporter Amanda Shalala that the biggest lesson the team has taken from the opening matches is to get the start of the match right.
“For us, we’ve really got to be able to take the first five minutes of the quarters,” she said.
“I think they’ve got little jumps on us in those moments. We’ve got to really solidify ball that we do get and make sure that we do put it on the scoreboard to pass some of that pressure back to New Zealand.”
Lopsided penalty count
Australia has been heavily penalised throughout the series and Stacey Marinkovich said her team would be looking for clarification from the umpires as to why that is.
New Zealand has conceded 100 penalties so far, while the Diamonds have conceded 145. That’s a lot of time standing beside your player, unable to contribute to play.
The same two umpires will officiate all four games of the series: Gary Burgess (English) and Alison Harrison (Welsh).
But Marinkovich told the media that she felt the Diamonds were umpired differently on home soil. Whether the coach agrees or not, they definitely need to be more disciplined today.
“In history, for the last four years, we’ve been penalised in New Zealand and it kind of shifts when we’re in Australia … But I don’t think our game plan changes too differently.”
You can read more about that in our analysis below.
Team changes
AUSTRALIA
Australia has two players out with Jamie-Lee Price nursing a calf injury and Matilda Garrett scratched from the game with concussion so this 12 is literally the only 12 players left in their Constellation Cup squad.
One of the Diamonds’ strengths is the squad’s depth, so that’s taken a hit. As has its confidence. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare without this pair.
Thankfully there is some good news and that is that Kate Moloney is back fighting fight after suffering a nasty finger laceration at training. She missed the first outing but was stitched up and appeared on Wednesday night.
“The finger is fine. I had a few more stitches put in after the game, but the finger is good to go,” Moloney told the ABC.
Loading Instagram content
NEW ZEALAND
Head coach Noeline Taurua has made a single change to her team for game three and it’s caught us by surprise.
In Auckland, Kimiora Poi started the match in WA and put on a solid performance.
She was replaced in the team by Peta Toeava for the Christchurch game, who went from outside the side into the starting line-up, taking hold of that WA bib.
She was phenomenal and really hard to shut down. Now there’s been a direct swap again. Poi in for Toeava.
Keeping us on our toes! Both offer such different styles of wing attack. Maybe this is their trial for the sport for next year’s World Cup?
Loading Instagram content
A series recap
If you missed Wednesday night’s game in Christchurch where the Diamonds suffered a heavy defeat to the Silver Ferns 62-50 you can find our blog from game two here.
