NZU21s wrap up pool play with record score
Wednesday 12 July, 2017 - The writing was on the wall early for Sri Lanka as the NZU21s team completed their pool phase
with a 125-15 win at the Netball World Youth Cup Gaborone 2017 in Botswana on Wednesday.
Getting away to a blistering start, where they were 11-0 up after four minutes, New Zealand were on track early to post
100 goals for the ninth time in their history while also breaking their previous 93-21 record against Sri Lanka set in
2000.
It also produced the highest score of the tournament to date, passing Australia’s earlier 119 goals against Singapore.
In clocking up big totals in their three earlier pool matches, New Zealand remained intent on staying focussed,
maintaining structure and trialling a diverse range of equally-impressive combinations.
The coaching staff were once again creative and thoughtful in juggling their playing personnel as the team stayed on
task with a fluent, efficient and near-faultless outing against Sri Lanka, 11 of the squad received good court minutes,
all changes effected with seamless efficiency as New Zealand rattled up quarter scores of 32-3, 57-9 and 90-12.
As has been the theme so far, captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson has been used sparingly in the build-up to the business
end of the tournament as she returns from a back injury.
A hard task master, coach Kiri Wills wasn’t getting too carried away at this stage but is reasonably happy with the
state of play at this stage of the tournament.
"It’s not perfect yet but every game we’ve kept building and the girls keep ticking off their task lists about what they
want to achieve and how they want to play the game," Wills said from Botswana.
"That can be quite difficult when the games are not close and when it can be hard to stay in the moment but I thought
they did better at that today than they have in some of the other games. So, yeah, pretty happy."
With all her team having their moments during the pool matches and without facing any undue pressure, Wills has admitted
there’s some serious choices she has to make for the games ahead in post-section play.
"We always viewed coming into this tournament that there would be a few positions that would be particularly tough to
decide and at tournaments like this you see who rises to the occasion and who doesn’t," she said.
"Those selections across the court will be quite tough but what it does do is it allows us to pick horses for courses,
so depending on the opposition, we’ll be able to select athletes that best measure up to our opponents on the day."
In their first match of post-section play, New Zealand will meet South Africa tomorrow night (NZ time).
NWYC2017 - USEFUL INFO
NZU21s Online Hub (draw, results, player profiles) - click here
Media Guide - download
Official Hashtags #NZU21s | #NWYC2017
Official Event website - click here
NZU21 Team
Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (C): GD/WD/GK
Charlotte Elley (VC): C/WD/WA
Aliyah Dunn: GS/GA
Abby Erwood: GK/GD
Monica Falkner: GA/GS
Fa’amu Ioane: WA/C/WD/GD
Kelly Jury: GK
Kate Lloyd: GK
Tiana Metuarau: GA/GS
Kimiora Poi: C/WA
Mila Reuelu-Buchanan: WA/C
Maia Wilson: GS
Support Staff
Kiri Wills, Head Coach
Julie Seymour, Assistant Coach
Jen Ferguson, Physio
Jill Clapcott, Manager
Anna Cave, Performance Analyst
Dr Penelope Day, Doctor
International Netball Federation Appointed Umpires/Officials – NZL
Gareth Fowler
Ann Hay
Angela Armstrong-Lush
Fay Meiklejohn (Umpire Appointments Panel)
NZU21s NWYC2017 Match Schedule (all games shown in local time):
Note: Botswana is -10 hours behind New Zealand
Day 1, Saturday 8 July: 8am, New Zealand 89 v Northern Ireland 22
Day 2, Sunday 9 July: 2pm, Samoa 33 v New Zealand 85
Day 3, Monday 10 July: 10am, Scotland 26 v New Zealand 78
Day 4, Tuesday 11 July: REST DAY
Day 5, Wednesday 12 July: 9am, New Zealand 125 v Sri Lanka 15
Days 6 – 9: Finals (Pools reconfigured)
ENDS