Well that was a game and a half! Not literally of course, there is no extra time in round matches and even if there was, Folau didn’t let us have the opportunity to play it. Lots to think about for both teams - which of the myriad NZ combinations worked best for them? How do the Diamonds address their less than brilliant final quarters? Are the umpires able to keep pace with the speed of these games? Hope you’ve enjoyed watching along with me - we will have live blogs going for the semis on Saturday and the final on Sunday, so please join us again for those. In the meantime, rest up, get your massages and ice baths and get ready for a bruising weekend of netball finals!
Geez, that Erin Delahunty is good. Even with keeping us updated with all the goss from the stadium she managed to get out this brilliant match report within minutes of the game ending. Relive the drama and enjoy!
Otaj Ihba asks via email “So, are the Diamonds the favourites to win this World Cup even after that nervy match? Or will the winner of the other semi-final be the more confident team when it comes to lifting the trophy?”
It’s hard to say! Certainly that wasn’t a complete performance from the Diamonds. It’s very disappointing to let a lead like that slip and those little errors that they were able to win back in earlier games proved much more costly against tougher opposition. England and South Africa have both looked in better form than NZ to my mind, so the Diamonds will need to lift to another level in order to win through to the final.
“I think I could have done a bit more to be honest!” says Bruce. Not sure she could have, she looks absolutely done! And with 7 gains, 3 intercepts, 5 deflections and 3 rebounds the stats agree that she had a good one.
OB Jato on email notes “New Zealand and thrillers at sports World Cups, eh?”
I’m not sure any Kiwis will have any fingernails left after the week they’ve had! Kiwis, you all have my permission to call in sick tomorrow. You deserve a long weekend.
This looked for all money like it was going to end in a draw but unbelievably Folau misses the final shot, just as she did for the Thunderbirds in the Super Netball just a few short weeks ago.
Q4 14 mins: Australia 49-48 NZ Watson has an immediate impact with an intercept. The Ferns move it down court but miss an easy pass to Folau. They reset and finally she slots the goal.
Q4 13 mins: Australia 49-47 NZ The Diamonds aren’t going to make it easy to get a turnover. They are being very patient in attack, knowing they have the upper hand. Jane Watson comes back on for the Ferns, along with Folau to try to close this out.
Q4 12 mins: Australia 48-46 NZ There is no easy passage to goal for either team right now. The Ferns are being very conservative in attack, but need to add some desperation in defence, as they need turnovers.
Q4 10 mins: Australia 47-45 NZ English umpire Burgess is very strict on the obstruction, so the Diamonds will be pleased he is at their shooting end to finish the game. They are getting a lot of space for their shots.
Q4 8 mins: Australia 46-43 NZ Bruce gets very close to her own incredible intercept, but misses by millimetres. It has made the Ferns more hesitant on the feed though.
Q4 6 mins: Australia 44-42 NZ The crowd is very unhappy with some umpiring decisions! It’s getting firey in there. Kopua comes within centimetres of another incredible intercept but can’t quite get to this one.
Q4 4 mins: Australia 42-40 NZ Now it’s the Diamonds who look a little flustered. I suspect they relaxed a little too much when they pushed the lead out and weren’t expecting this fight back. They continue to get the ball into the circle, but not with the fluidity they had in the first three quarters.
Q4 1 min: Australia 40-37 NZ I was wrong, Price comes back on for the Diamonds in WD. One of those concerning Bassett turnovers gives the Ferns the chance to close the gap further early.
The Ferns win the quarter by two and despite looking very unsettled for most of that quarter, now finally look like a team that is able to compete with the Diamonds. The changes seem to be working for them. It will be interesting to see if Alexander makes any changes to the Diamonds line up, but I suspect she will stick with this line for now, with players ready on the bench if the lead shrinks any further in the first few minutes of the final quarter.
Q3 13 mins: Australia 38-34 NZ The Ferns are fighting their way back into this despite - or maybe due to - the ‘bibs in the air’ approach to changes. Mes and Ekenasio are moving the ball better between them and Langman is the steadying influence through the middle.
Q3 12 mins: Australia 38-33 NZ More changes in defence - Rore comes back on at GD but Watson wasn’t able to get her bibs off in time so Kopua waits on the bench until the next goal is scored.
Q3 11 mins: Australia 38-31 NZ Here comes that WD change - Browne has just had too much space on Rore. Karin Burger joins the game and Ekenasio has also come back on at GA for Folau.
Q3 10 mins: Australia 36-30 NZ Bizarre moment with Bassett bending down to tie her shoelace while the ball was being thrown back on court. She stands up, finds it at her feet and shoots the goal.
Q3 8 mins: Australia 34-27 NZ It’s all looking too easy for the Diamonds at the moment. The Ferns don’t look like they have the answers. They are forcing a few turnovers, but their attacking play is so static, they are really troubled by the Diamonds’ defence.
Q3 6 mins: Australia 32-26 NZ The crowd might join Erin in buying the umpires that stop watch. A lot of yelling when Folau holds on to her shots for 4-5 seconds.
Q3 4 mins: Australia 32-24 NZ For some reason we have a commentary change for the second half? Did Sharni Layton pick up a voice injury during the break? We now get Dan Ryan in there – not sure how he’s fitting it in with coaching Northern Ireland as well! I wouldn’t have thought a head coach in a World Cup would have a second to think about anything else but coaching, but he’s squeezing it in.
Q3 1 min: Australia 29-24 NZ Quick goal to Australia to start. NZ have brought Shannon Saunders on at WA - interesting change, I would have expected a new WD instead? But Taurua knows what she’s doing!
Caitlin Basset is challenged by Casey Kopua. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
Heading to some half-time analysis by three former Diamonds greats in Liz Ellis, Cath Cox and Kim Green.
Cox notes that the feeders found Bassett much more easily in the second quarter. Green isn’t too sure about the change from Price to Hadley in WD - she thought Price was generating some energy and isn’t sure about playing Hadley out of position.
Big quarter from the Diamonds who are edging out those individual battles all over the court. The new shooting combination of Mes and Folau has only had two minutes so far, so we’ll have to keep an eye on the impact that may have as we get into the second half. Six goals is not much at all in a game like this, so the game could still go either way.
Q2 12 mins: Australia 25-18 NZ Australia really pushing it out now. The Ferns look to be struggling with the speed of the attack and the suffocating nature of the defence. Meanwhile Erin has very generously offered to purchase a stop watch for the umpires to help them out with their held ball calls. So kind of her!
Q2 10 mins: Australia 24-18 NZ Browne isn’t bothered by the reach of Rore, she is outrunning her and hitting the circle edge so the arms don’t get in her way. NZ may look to bring on a speedier WD option.
Q2 8 mins: Australia 21-17 NZ Erin was right about Bassett - she is looking much more switched on this match than she has so far. Not so many of those little fumbles that were creeping into her game.
Q2 7 mins: Australia 19-16 NZ Folau adjusts by holding space to run into, rather than space for the ball to be passed into which helps her get around Bruce at last. A footwork call on Price gives the Ferns the opportunity to get back into it.
Maria Folau lines up a shot as Jo Weston looks to make a block. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images
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