Silver Ferns notch win over Trinidad & Tobago
August 8, 2015
The Silver Ferns overcame a slow start to deliver a well-crafted 74-38 win over Trinidad & Tobago in their second pool match at Netball World Cup SYDNEY 2015 on Saturday.
The Calypso Girls kept the Silver Ferns honest during the opening stages but the New Zealanders, again giving all 12 players court time, gradually built into a position of dominance.
With Jodi Brown joining Bailey Mes in the shooting circle for the start, veteran defender Leana de Bruin linking with her captain Casey Kopua as the in-circle defenders, Kayla Cullen getting her first start at wing defence and midcourt dynamo Laura Langman starting from the bench, it was another match of mixing and matching for the Silver Ferns.
The outcome provided plenty of food for thought for coach Waimarama Taumaunu for the road ahead, the differing combinations all having their moments in subduing a challenging Trinidad & Tobago early on before completing a convincing outing.
The Silver Ferns were quickly into stride, making a confident start on transition with shooter Mes providing the finishing under the hoop and Cullen picking off defensive turnovers from wing defence.
However, Trinidad & Tobago with experienced wing attack Rhonda John-Davis notching her 150th Test Cap in her fifth World Cup, found their feet to peg back the deficit with a competitive first stanza.
Patient through court and with the composed and well positioned shooting duo of Samantha Wallace and captain Joelisa Cooper under the hoop Trinidad & Tobago delivered a strong opening, drawing within two before glimpses of the new-look mobile, agile and fast-moving Silver Ferns shooting circle helped the New Zealanders head to the first break with a 16-12 lead.
The Silver Ferns set the tone for the second stanza after scoring the first three goals. Providing strong play off the line, goal attack Brown was pivotal in setting up the Silver Ferns second phase play, with centre Shannon Francois and wing attack Grace Rasmussen providing a lightning-quick service to Mes.
The Silver Ferns could not completely shake the tenacious Trinidad & Tobago, who continued to deliver impressive passages of play on attack while goal keeper Kielle Connelly and wing defence Onella Jack picked off a string of impressive intercepts.
As the pressure began to tell on the Caribbean team, the unrelenting Silver Ferns enjoyed a growing share of the possession with the attacking line clicking into top gear to build a handy buffer.
Moving into a position of control, the Silver Ferns finished the first half with a flourish to forge a 37-25 lead at the main break.
The Silver Ferns again made wholesale changes for the second half with the introduction of a new in-circle defensive combination in Katrina Grant and Phoenix Karaka as well as a new shooting pairing in Maria Tutaia and Malia Paseka. It proved a dominant stanza for the New Zealanders, the employment of a zone defence structure forcing the Calypso Girls into error while the Silver Ferns took full advantage.
The athletic Paseka shone in the shooting circle with her poise and aerial skills while Tutaia found her radar as the pair continued to rattle in the goals. At the other end, the defensive pressure was telling, Grant and Karaka both playing prominent roles in forcing Trinidad & Tobago into a mounting turnover rate.
Laura Langman, the general in the midcourt, and Cullen provided the finishing touches as the breaks were applied to Trinidad & Tobago’s scoring momentum, the Silver Ferns bursting out to a 56-33 lead at the last break.
The Silver Ferns play their final pool match tomorrow (Sunday), against Australia at 2.20pm (local time).
Quarter-by-Quarter Scores
SILVER FERNS│ Q1: 16 – Q2: 37 (21) – Q3: 56 (19) – Q4: 74 (18)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO | Q1: 12 – Q2: 25 (13) – Q3: 33 (8) – Q4: 38 (5)
Shooting Statistics
SILVER FERNS: 74/92 @80%
Mes: 21/25 @84%
Brown: 16/20 @ 80%
Paseka: 21/27 @78%
Tutaia: 16/20 @ 80%
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: 38/46 @ 83%
Wallace: 24/30 @ 80%
Cooper: 9/11 @ 82%
Noel: 1/1 @ 100%
McCollin: 38/46 @ 83%
Starting Line-ups
SILVER FERNS: GS Mes, GA Brown, WA Rasmussen, C Francois, WD Cullen, GD de Bruin, GK Kopua
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: GS Wallace, GA Cooper, WA John-Davis, C Guerero, WD Jack, GD Duncan, GK Connelly
Positional Changes
SILVER FERNS
Q3: GS Paseka, GA Tutaia, WA Francois, C Langman, GD Grant, GK Karaka
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Q2 (T/O): C John-Davis, WA Cameron
Q3: C Guerero, WA John-Davis
Q4: GS Noel, GA McCollin, WA Jack, C Liverpool, WD Cameron, GD Connelly, GK Duncan
The Calypso Girls kept the Silver Ferns honest during the opening stages but the New Zealanders, again giving all 12 players court time, gradually built into a position of dominance.
With Jodi Brown joining Bailey Mes in the shooting circle for the start, veteran defender Leana de Bruin linking with her captain Casey Kopua as the in-circle defenders, Kayla Cullen getting her first start at wing defence and midcourt dynamo Laura Langman starting from the bench, it was another match of mixing and matching for the Silver Ferns.
The outcome provided plenty of food for thought for coach Waimarama Taumaunu for the road ahead, the differing combinations all having their moments in subduing a challenging Trinidad & Tobago early on before completing a convincing outing.
The Silver Ferns were quickly into stride, making a confident start on transition with shooter Mes providing the finishing under the hoop and Cullen picking off defensive turnovers from wing defence.
However, Trinidad & Tobago with experienced wing attack Rhonda John-Davis notching her 150th Test Cap in her fifth World Cup, found their feet to peg back the deficit with a competitive first stanza.
Patient through court and with the composed and well positioned shooting duo of Samantha Wallace and captain Joelisa Cooper under the hoop Trinidad & Tobago delivered a strong opening, drawing within two before glimpses of the new-look mobile, agile and fast-moving Silver Ferns shooting circle helped the New Zealanders head to the first break with a 16-12 lead.
The Silver Ferns set the tone for the second stanza after scoring the first three goals. Providing strong play off the line, goal attack Brown was pivotal in setting up the Silver Ferns second phase play, with centre Shannon Francois and wing attack Grace Rasmussen providing a lightning-quick service to Mes.
The Silver Ferns could not completely shake the tenacious Trinidad & Tobago, who continued to deliver impressive passages of play on attack while goal keeper Kielle Connelly and wing defence Onella Jack picked off a string of impressive intercepts.
As the pressure began to tell on the Caribbean team, the unrelenting Silver Ferns enjoyed a growing share of the possession with the attacking line clicking into top gear to build a handy buffer.
Moving into a position of control, the Silver Ferns finished the first half with a flourish to forge a 37-25 lead at the main break.
The Silver Ferns again made wholesale changes for the second half with the introduction of a new in-circle defensive combination in Katrina Grant and Phoenix Karaka as well as a new shooting pairing in Maria Tutaia and Malia Paseka. It proved a dominant stanza for the New Zealanders, the employment of a zone defence structure forcing the Calypso Girls into error while the Silver Ferns took full advantage.
The athletic Paseka shone in the shooting circle with her poise and aerial skills while Tutaia found her radar as the pair continued to rattle in the goals. At the other end, the defensive pressure was telling, Grant and Karaka both playing prominent roles in forcing Trinidad & Tobago into a mounting turnover rate.
Laura Langman, the general in the midcourt, and Cullen provided the finishing touches as the breaks were applied to Trinidad & Tobago’s scoring momentum, the Silver Ferns bursting out to a 56-33 lead at the last break.
The Silver Ferns play their final pool match tomorrow (Sunday), against Australia at 2.20pm (local time).
Quarter-by-Quarter Scores
SILVER FERNS│ Q1: 16 – Q2: 37 (21) – Q3: 56 (19) – Q4: 74 (18)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO | Q1: 12 – Q2: 25 (13) – Q3: 33 (8) – Q4: 38 (5)
Shooting Statistics
SILVER FERNS: 74/92 @80%
Mes: 21/25 @84%
Brown: 16/20 @ 80%
Paseka: 21/27 @78%
Tutaia: 16/20 @ 80%
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: 38/46 @ 83%
Wallace: 24/30 @ 80%
Cooper: 9/11 @ 82%
Noel: 1/1 @ 100%
McCollin: 38/46 @ 83%
Starting Line-ups
SILVER FERNS: GS Mes, GA Brown, WA Rasmussen, C Francois, WD Cullen, GD de Bruin, GK Kopua
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: GS Wallace, GA Cooper, WA John-Davis, C Guerero, WD Jack, GD Duncan, GK Connelly
Positional Changes
SILVER FERNS
Q3: GS Paseka, GA Tutaia, WA Francois, C Langman, GD Grant, GK Karaka
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Q2 (T/O): C John-Davis, WA Cameron
Q3: C Guerero, WA John-Davis
Q4: GS Noel, GA McCollin, WA Jack, C Liverpool, WD Cameron, GD Connelly, GK Duncan