New Zealand set their sights on a new netball world order after stunning the Diamonds to kick off the Constellation Cup. The Commonwealth Games gold medallists picked up in Auckland where they left off in Glasgow with a 56-50 series-opening win at Spark Arena on Sunday.
Experienced Diamonds duo Jo Weston and Kate Moloney were sorely missed by the world number one outfit. The visitors were left in tears in Glasgow after settling for a bronze medal. Australia had suffered a shock semi-final defeat to Jamaica to miss a gold medal match for the first time since the sport joined the Games program in 1998.
Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich admitted Australia were still working on the heartbreak of their Glasgow campaign. She said they were a bit tense coming into New Zealand off the loss at the Commonwealth Games, and needed to process and work their way through that experience.
Grace Nweke was unconquerable on Sunday and fired off 40 goals from 41 attempts. Her performance spoiled Diamonds goalkeeper Courtney Bruce in her 100th game. New Zealand captain Karin Burger held up the other end with goalkeeper Kelly Jackson to shut down Australia full attacking roster of Kiera Austin, Sophie Garbin, Cara Koenen and Sophie Dwyer.
The Silver Ferns charged to a 15-10 lead at quarter-time, thanks to a four-goal burst from Nweke. Marinkovich was forced to turn to her bench early, tasking debutant goalkeeper Jessie Grenvold with containing Nweke.
The Diamonds coach also tweaked her attack, with Dwyer returning to the court for the first time since missing her after-the-siren shot against Jamaica. Goal attack Dwyer had been left unused on the bench in Australia bronze medal match win over England.
New Zealand ascendancy continued well into the second quarter, soaring to a 10-goal lead after Nweke again fired off four straight goals. So uncharacteristic was the Diamonds performance that Marinkovich then took captain Liz Watson off the court, calling on Jamie-Lee Price to take centre duties for the second half.
With Marinkovich bench depleted, the Diamonds came to life in the final quarter and scored 17 goals to New Zealand 11, but it was too little, too late.
Marinkovich believes the Diamonds have been put on notice, with the Silver Ferns clearly benefiting from time spent in Super Netball. She stated that New Zealand are clinical at the moment, and that Super Netball has shown them what to do in pressured moments on a regular basis.
