THREE-QUARTER TIME: Coach Stacey Marinkovich has made modifications forward of the final quarter with Liz Watson, Donnell Wallam and Cara Koenen coming into the sport.
Wallam has obtained an enormous cheer from the Cairns crowd, which incorporates loads of younger First Nations followers – a lot of whom have been concerned in a Web Set Go demonstration at halftime.
The Diamonds take a 14-goal lead into the ultimate time period however Marinkovich desires to see lots from her tall taking pictures duo, with Watson set to provide them loads of ball.
Whereas Garrett got here on within the third quarter to make her Diamonds debut, the South Africans made modifications of their taking pictures circle, with Rolene Streutker making her debut and Lefebre Rademan approaching as Ine-Mari Venter and Nichole Taljaard got here off.
They’ve executed properly by the center levels of the match to stick with the Diamonds, dropping the 2 phrases by a mixed margin of six targets after conceding eight within the opening time period.
Garrett makes Diamonds debut
Matilda Garrett is on courtroom and turns into Diamond quantity 191 as she makes her debut within the well-known gold costume.
Coach Stacey Marinkovich has resisted the temptation to make bulk modifications to the group, with Garrett the one swap at this stage, becoming a member of Sarah Klau within the defensive circle.
A flexible participant, Garrett can play throughout all three defensive positions however makes her debut at purpose assault in what can be a memorable evening for the Victorian product.
HALF-TIME — Diamonds lead by 10 as modifications loom
The Proteas proceed to show over loads of ball however they’ve stayed with Australia significantly better this era, trailing by simply two this quarter.
It offers Australia a 10-goal buffer at halftime, a robust lead, though coach Stacey Marinkovich is more likely to be powerful on her group after they turned the ball over 11 occasions within the half.
The query now’s what number of modifications she is going to make forward of the third quarter.
It’s doubtless Liz Watson and Courtney Bruce can be injected and we might see Wallam and Garrett, on debut, injected into the sport.
Whereas the Diamonds lead handily, they have been sloppy within the second time period and can need to tighten up the poor passes within the midcourt which have handed South Africa sufficient ball to remain within the match.
Australia will need to get again to its trademark quick, sharp ball motion to place the primary match within the collection to mattress.
QUARTER-TIME — Sophie present as Diamonds dominate
It’s the “Sophie” present for the Diamonds in Cairns, with the taking pictures mixture of Sophie Garbin and Sophie Dwyer main Australia to a 17-9 lead on the first break in Cairns.
Dwyer has needed to bide her time on the bench for a lot of her worldwide profession however is profiting from her first begin, ending with five-of-six taking pictures and – extra importantly – exhibiting she has the arrogance to show and shoot from nearly any place within the circle.
The Diamonds began slowly, turning over two of their first three possessions as journey and new combos seemed set to take a toll.
Nevertheless it was a momentary lapse, with the edges going purpose for purpose within the opening levels earlier than the Diamonds broke the sport open with seven consecutive targets to interrupt the sport open.
The Diamonds made seven beneficial properties within the first quarter and made the many of the turnover ball, changing most of it.
Garbin has began flawlessly at purpose shooter, sinking all 12 of her makes an attempt as she dominates her battle with Proteas keeper Phumza Maweni.
Plummer hails South African expertise
Former Diamonds coach Norma Plummer is placing no strain on her Proteas facet heading into their collection towards the world champions.
“All now we have to do is get on the market and provides it shot,” Plummer stated.
The Proteas are present process some generational change forward of the subsequent world championships and have a number of younger gamers in Australia – a lot of whom have been concerned of their dwelling World Cup marketing campaign in Cape City earlier this 12 months.
Regardless of arriving in Australia with out nice depth of their taking pictures ranks – skilled Proteas goaler and former Adelaide Thunderbirds participant Lenize Potgieter continues to be rehabbing a knee damage that restricted her World Cup marketing campaign to only one recreation, whereas rising star Elmere van der Berg hasn’t travelled with the group resulting from an ankle damage – Plummer shouldn’t be anxious.
“I like teaching these ladies, the resilience is unbelievable,” she stated. “They need to study.
“All South Africa’s bought to do is give them a full-time nationwide netball league and a few growth packages after which look out, I believe they’ve bought the expertise, it simply must be labored.”
Diamonds make mass modifications for South Africa Check
Amy Parmenter has been introduced straight into the beginning facet for tonight’s conflict towards South Africa after becoming a member of the squad in Cairns forward of the three-match collection.
Parmenter comes into the Diamonds line-up at wing defence, with Sophie Dwyer incomes the primary begin of her worldwide profession at purpose assault alongside Sophie Garbin at shooter.
Senior gamers, captain Liz Watson and goalkeeper Courtney Bruce have been rested from the beginning facet, with Paige Hadley beginning at wing assault and Jamie-Lee Worth at centre becoming a member of Parmenter within the midcourt.
Sunday Aryang, who performed the latest Constellation Cup completely at wing defence as coach Stacey Marinkovich opted for a tall line-up, will begin at purpose defence, with Sarah Klau at keeper.
It means Matilda Garrett faces a nervous wait on the bench earlier than making her debut.
Donnell Wallam, the third contemporary participant to affix the squad for the South Africa collection, may even begin on the bench alongside Cara Koenen, Garrett, Watson and Bruce.
Marinkovich has lengthy stated Diamonds clothes should be earned and whereas Garrett put in an excellent effort on the latest coaching camp on the Australian Institute of Sport to be named within the squad, she is not going to simply be handed a begin.
No excuses: Can Diamonds bounce again from NZ ache?
The Diamonds are decided to not use their brutal journey schedule following the Constellation Cup as any type of excuse heading into their first dwelling collection towards South Africa in nearly 20 years.
Simply over 12 hours after their closing conflict towards the Kiwis – a bruising bodily encounter worthy of the highest two groups on this planet slugging it out in a collection decider – the Diamonds have been on a airplane out of Auckland heading again to Australia.
Given their eventual vacation spot – Cairns – has no daylight financial savings, an adjustment to Queensland time for his or her journey day, means they have been up earlier than midnight and their airplane departed at 3am earlier than a two-leg 3790km journey over the subsequent nearly 9 hours.
However arriving in Cairns, captain Liz Watson informed The Cairns Put up the group was simply excited to be within the far north.
“The Diamonds have by no means had a Check match right here which may be very thrilling,” Watson stated.
“We’ve had a number of matches right here earlier than (in Tremendous Netball in the course of the 2020 hub season in Queensland) so we all know that the group actually will get round us.”
With restoration rather more of a urgent level than coaching, the Diamonds didn’t have a coaching session forward of the match, as an alternative participating in a “bonding session” with the three new members of the squad which have are available in for this collection.
Kate Moloney, Kiera Austin and Jo Weston have been rested from the South Africa collection – the nation’s first in Australia since 2005 – with midcourter Amy Parmenter, goaler Donnell Wallam and defender Matilda Garrett coming into the facet to supply contemporary legs.
Parmenter and Wallam, who was a travelling reserve for each final 12 months’s Commonwealth Video games and this 12 months’s World Cup, made their Diamonds’ debuts final 12 months – Parmenter within the Constellation Cup towards New Zealand and Wallam, towards England, whereas Garrett is in line to make her debut tonight if referred to as on by coach Stacey Marinkovich.
The Diamonds tackle South Africa’s Proteas on the Cairns Conference Centre at 7.30pm AEDT.
Initially printed as Netball information 2023: Australian Diamonds v South Africa newest information and reside protection
