ANZ Championship Weekend Preview and Statistics

Round Eight of the ANZ Championship gets underway this week with new competition leader, the ColourPlus Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic meeting the SKOPE Canterbury Tactix for the first time, in Christchurch at 2.30 pm (NZ time) on Saturday.

Tactix desperately need to win this match to keep their finals hopes alive and a staunch home town crowd will be a distinct advantage. They are coming off a tough win over the Suzuki Central Pulse and are still finding their way in attack with replacement shooter Rachel Dunn who played her role well last weekend. Magic were mighty at times in their Round 7 defeat of Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel with Irene Van Dyk posting a perfect shooting game. The win gave Magic the number one ranking on the competition table for the first time. Look to the mid-court for a great battle between Silver Ferns team mates Laura Langman and Julie Seymour.

On Sunday the Queensland Firebirds host the Melbourne Vixens. The Vixens drew first blood by ten goals in their clash in Round Two but a lot has happened since then and it’s the Firebirds who have improved most rapidly in recent weeks. Vicki Wilson's team has made maximum use of their Jamaican import Romelda Aiken who has been unstoppable in the goal circle. The Firebirds’ major task will be at the other end of the court, where dynamic Vixens shooters Sharelle McMahon and Caitlin Thwaites can run rings around the most determined defenders. With the Firebirds fresh after the week off and the Vixens confident after knocking off the Adelaide Thunderbirds, this is a match not to be missed.

Monday night netball begins with a huge encounter between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the NSW Swifts that may well have a decisive impact on the final four places. The Swifts have won only one of their past three matches and currently sit just outside the top four. They will be under pressure to blunt Thunderbirds’ potent attack, led by the lethally accurate Natalie Medhurst. The clash in the Swifts’ circle between Mo'onia Gerrard/Geva Mentor and Susan Pratley/Catherine Cox will be enthralling.

In the final match of the round Suzuki Central Pulse meet the LG Northern Mystics. Pulse were on track for an upset win over Tactix last week, but just failed to hang on in the final period of extra time. Mystics, who have only one win on the board, had a bye last week so will be well rested and ready to regain a little lost pride in this game. Pulse’s last week game showed very positive signs for the side as they went agonisingly close to their first win. Could this be the week they finally break through? Yvonne Willering and her Mystics will be working hard to ensure it is not.

This week the West Coast Fever and the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel have a bye.


This weekend;

Round 8
Saturday May 24
SKOPE Canterbury Tactix v ColourPlus Waikato / Bay of Plenty Magic
Westpac Centre, Christchurch, 14:30

Sunday May 25
Queensland Firebirds v Melbourne Vixens
Brisbane Convention and Entertainment Centre. 13:30

Monday May 26
Adelaide Thunderbirds v NSW Swifts
ETSA Park, Adelaide. 18:30

Suzuki Central Pulse vs LG Northern Mystics
TSB Arena, Wellington. 19:00
BYE
West Coast Fever
Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel

Round Eight Dot Points

Canterbury Tactix vs. Waikato/BOP Magic

This will be the first time the sides have met in the ANZ Championship.
The Tactix have five of their next seven matches away including three trips to Australia to meet the Thunderbirds, Firebirds and Fever.
This is the battle of the top two New Zealand teams. The Magic sit top of the table while the Tactix sit fifth.
The Magic are the only New Zealand side that has not lost a match to another NZ team after seven rounds.
 

Queensland Firebirds vs. Melbourne Vixens

When the sides met in Round 2 the Vixens defeated the Firebirds 62-52.
The Firebirds and Vixens have the same win loss record of five wins and a loss after seven rounds; both teams have also had the bye.
The Firebirds sit second on the ladder and the Vixens third. The Firebirds have a superior goal percentage at 122pc to the Vixens 115pc.
The Firebirds have the highest average goals scored per match (55.5) and highest number of attempts (67.2) per match in the ANZ Championship after seven rounds.
The Firebirds are one of eight teams to be shooting at 80pc or higher after seven rounds.
The Firebirds are on a four match winning run. The Vixens are on a three match winning run.
 

Adelaide Thunderbirds vs. NSW Swifts

This is the first meeting of the sides in the ANZ Championship.
The Swifts and Thunderbirds are equal on eight championship points but the Swifts have played seven matches and the Thunderbirds six. The Thunderbirds sit in fourth place and the Swifts sixth.
Thunderbirds shooter Natalie Medhurst continues to be the most accurate shooter in ANZ Championship after seven rounds. Medhurst has scored 150 goals at 92pc accuracy.
 

Central Pulse vs. Northern Mystics

This is the first meeting between the sides in the ANZ Championship.
The Mystics are coming off a bye while the Pulse is coming off a heartbreaking extra time loss (50-55) to the Tactix in Round 7.
The Pulse equaled their highest score of the ANZ Championship in Round 7 when they finished with 50 goals in their extra time loss to the Tactix. Their other 50-goal haul was against the Steel in Round 2 when they also drew and had to play extra time.
The Mystics highest score so far has been 52 goals in their round two loss to the Magic.