The Australian Kelpies have won the Trans Tasman Cup with one match to spare after a 78-36 win over the New Zealand Net Blacks.
Despite a much-improved performance from the New Zealand men, the Kelpies continued their dominance in the world of men’s netball.
The Kelpies claimed the first two matches in the Trans Tasman Cup by 50 and 45 goals respectively, and the Net Blacks continued to reduce the deficit in the third match, losing by 42 goals in Canberra.
New Zealand showed more consistency in the third test of the series, coming back from a poor first quarter to show their fight. They scored their highest total of the series so far, the largely inexperienced side improving every time they step out on court.
The Net Blacks started with the seven who put in such a strong first quarter in the second match, but coach Helene Wilson had no hesitation to make substitutions as the Kelpies powered ahead, with three changes in the first quarter.
It was a high-scoring first period, with the Kelpies pulling out to a 27-7 lead. The Australian defence were forcing the Kiwis into mistakes on attack, and scored quickly from their turnovers.
Mikaira Raerino and Thomson Matuku were accurate when their feeders found them, showing their respective trademark shooting skills - Raerino’s layups and Matuku’s high shots.
At the other end of the court, Kelpies goal shoot Liam Killey was a big threat under the hoop as usual, the 2.06m goal shoot pulling in feeds and finding space in the circle, using his footwork along with his height.
Captain Kruze Tangira, the most capped player in the Net Blacks team, controlled the flow from the midcourt, clearing traffic and not being afraid of a long feed.
The Net Blacks found their flow towards the end of the second quarter, with gains on defence and better flow on attack. Tangira’s move from wing defence to centre in the third quarter also gave the Kiwis more ball in the shooting circle.
The turning point in the second test was a mammoth 17-goal run from the Australian men, and the Net Blacks managed to limit any extended runs from the Kelpies in this game, which made a big difference in momentum.
With five minutes left in the match, Liam Forcadilla was sidelined due to a heavy collision with Tangira, giving the Net Blacks a one-man advantage. They used the two minutes of having an extra player wisely, scoring five goals in a row and keeping the Kelpies scoreless.
After losing the second and third quarter by nine goals each, the Net Blacks managed to keep the intensity up all game, losing the final quarter by just four goals.
The final test in the Trans Tasman Cup will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday, as the Net Blacks look to continue their improvement.