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IFNA World Youth Netball Championships
10th-20th August 2009, Cook Islands
Above Content courtesy of the August edition of netball magazine
Monday 24th August
The agony and the ecstasy
So it will be another 4 years, probably in Glasgow, before England can again take on the worlds best at U21 level and endeavour to hang medals around necks as they step onto the podium. There was no lack of effort, commitment or ability on show from England over the past 2 weeks in Rarotonga (Cook Islands), and the emotion showed by the team and management at the semi final loss to Australia and then the bronze medal loss to Jamaica, demonstrated how much this team had committed and wanted the ultimate success.
The margins were small, neutral observers were pointing that out, and this was perhaps underlined by the result in the final, Australia beating New Zealand with a score very similar to that by which they beat England (and we had a horrible 3rd quarter, New Zealand had a horrible first!). Australia won 64 to 46 and fully deserved their Gold Medals, they were the best team there, not by a large margin, but by enough to fully justify their title as U21 World Champions.
Alongside the agony, there was however ecstasy for England representatives at the World Youth Championships. We reported last week on our 3 umpires in action at the event, Louise Travis, Gary Burgess and Judith Groves. Their week got better and better as they were observed and assessed in every game by the watchful eyes of the Appointments Panel (with Englands Bill Alexander working very hard as a key part of that team). The ultimate accolade of course is to be invited to officiate in the final or the most significant match that you can. (given that umpire appointments are neutral, so you can not umpire a match with your country playing.)
All three England Umpires were involved in matches for the final placings, a major demonstration of how well they were rated across the event, with Judith Groves officiating in the Final between Australia and New Zealand.
The final icing on the cake was when as part of the final ceremony, it was announced that 3 umpires at the event had been assessed for and passed their International Umpire Award. The 3 (all males as it happens) included Gary Burgess. Our congratulations to Gary, Judith and Louise for a major and very positive impact at the World Youth Netball Championships!
Friday 21st August
England 42 vs Jamaica 48, Bronze Medal match
So the giants of Northern Hemisphere netball meet once again in a battle for bronze. This has been a repetitive theme over the past few years, the 2003 and 2007 World Championships (senior) and the Commonwealth Games Melbourne (2006). All of these games have been tight close affairs, and here in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, we have just experienced another classic in this series of matches.
Both teams showed changed starting line ups from their semi-final matches, Jamaica leaving Romelda Aiken on the bench (was that knee injury still an issue?), and England starting with: Jo Harten (GS), Monique Wood (GA), Katy Rose (WA), Sarah Jane O Sullivan (C), Serena Guthrie (WD), Stacey Francis (GD), and Captain Eboni Beckford Chambers at GK.
Jamaica were fastest out of the blocks (Jamaicans seem good at that these days), taking a brief lead, before the England machine started purring. The England defence was magnificent from the very start, Eboni Beckford Chambers, who has got better and better as these championships have progressed, was combining brilliantly with Stacey Francis to pressure the Jamaican attack which was still highly effective without Aiken. The defence created many turn overs, and there were just a few chances where England lost the ball again, reducing the impact of the defensive effort. Jo Harten was looking her deadly best back at GS and the combination with Monique Wood was working effectively. The mid court, well they have worked tirelessly all tournament, and nothing changed here, it was a great effort all round.
The quarter ended 11 each, with both sides looking good and confident and the match already had that feeling of one that would go all the way. England switched Harten and Woods at the break, with everyone else staying in the same positions, but Jamaica responded to the England performance by bringing Romelda Aiken on at GS. Her knee heavily strapped, the performance that was to follow, and the battle that she had with Beckford Chambers in particular suggests that the injury is not too serious.
The game continued neck and neck, until Jamaica called an injury time break at 20 to 22 up, but it was England who made the change with Perry coming on at WD, Guthrie moving forward to centre, and O Sullivan to WA. The change perhaps disrupted England a little, and Jamaica squeezed out a 21 to 26 lead at half time. The feature of the match though was the contest between Romelda Aiken, twice voted most valuable player (at senior level!) in the trans-tasman ANZ Championships, and Eboni Beckford Chambers the England GK. Time and time again, long high bombs were sent towards Aiken, and time after time, Eboni rose to the challenge, tipping them away and forcing Aiken into errors, or at least making her afternoon far from comfortable. It was a captains effort from Beckford Chambers and the images will live long with those who witnessed it.
For the third quarter, England reverted to the starting 7, with Wood remaining at GS, and Harten at GA. From an England perspective, the injury did not seem to be restricting Aiken badly at all, so the game continued in a similar vein. England picked up the pace in the quarter, and with stunning effort from the whole team, urged on by the bench and a loud crowd wanting to see a tight finish, England drew level at 32 each before finishing the quarter just behind at 32 to 34.
No changes for the start of the final quarter from England, and it continued neck and neck with battles all over the court, but with the game being played in a very good natured way. Guthrie took the greatest ovation when being sent backwards over a Jamaican player, she calmly turned it into a one-handed flick-back and landed on her feet.
Key moments seemed to happen with 7 minutes left on the clock, a brilliant combination by Beckford Chambers and Guthrie, both in the air and out of court but retaining possession, was followed by a game finishing injury to Jo Harten. Harten has worked tirelessly all competition, leading the line and always expected to deliver constantly. What looked like a foot injury finished her game early, however, Ella Clark then joined the fray, thats a tough environment to be thrown into, but she responded! Clark instantly started taking rebounds, perhaps a weakness until then for England when shots had gone astray and also showed her instinctive basketball skills to slot the ball in whilst falling out of court.
It was Jamaica who had the upper hand though, with a lead that remained about three, until the end where an increasingly desperate England sought the elusive magic to turn the game round. It was not to be, and a final score of England 42 Jamaica 48 destroyed the medal dreams of this young England team. The detailed analysis can come later and we will follow this report with reaction from players and coaches, and some great news about our contingent of English Officials out here and how well they have done. From the side line everyone was saying there was little between the top 4 teams here, and you are left with that impression after this match.
England appointed a young co-coaching team to this U21 Squad and their efforts (and learning curve) have been immense and admirable throughout the last 2 years. The athletes have committed totally to the programme and have improved markedly, as both individuals and as a team. At the end of the day sport is competitive, and losing has to go along with that. The tears at the end showed how much this team wanted success here, that goes for the management as much as the players, but it was just not to be.
What they, and we have to remember, is that this has been the most fantastic learning experience. The players will be hungrier for success in the future, two of this squad are eligible (young enough) for this event in 4 years time, and many will graduate into the England senior squad. When they get there the challenges are the same, England has to beat Australia in semi-finals and Jamaica anytime we play them. It wont be easy, but this group will remember today, and will take the lessons with them into the next stage of the journey.
IFNA World Youth Netball Championships Grand Final - Gold Medal Match
Australia 64 New Zealand 46
More news and reaction will follow shortly......
Wednesday 19th August
Australia 63 vs England 42, Semi Final
Englands quest for Gold at the World Youth Netball Championships ended this evening with a competitive and hard fought match against a very effective and efficient Australian Team. Neutral spectators at this tournament had predicted a close match, with very little to choose between any of the semi final teams, and that was how this match started.The England team believed they had nothing to fear from Australia in advance of the match, they believed they could win and win on merit, and the early exchanges suggested that could be the case. England started with a line up of: Rosie Allison (GS), Jo Harten (GA), Katy Rose (WA), Serena Guthrie (C), Stacey Francis (WD), Sam Perry (GD), and Captain Eboni Beckford Chambers at GK.
It was recognised by all in advance that the team needed to improve further from the quarter final against South Africa, in particular, the team needed to show from the very start the fluid attacking play that we have seen often later in the matches this last week. Step up though they did, despite the big match pressure and atmosphere, they matched Australia in early skirmishes and fought back in the first quarter a number of occasions from 4 goals down, then back to 2, but never achieved parity. There were chances, we failed to capitalise on some Australian mistakes, and on occasions turned the ball over, only to throw it back to Australia, perhaps trying too hard at this stage in the game.
The quarter ended 14 to 9 to Australia, but the game felt as though it could go either way, and England co-coaches Anna Mayes and Jess Garland opted to make no changes. The second quarter, and the Australian performance picked up, their defence forcing Harten and Allison into shooting from distance, whilst their attack combination was slick and giving few chances for Beckford Chambers to re create her brilliance of yesterday. The gap opened up to 10, and at that point a key moment, Guthrie went down injured, and following treatment, the England team substituted Sarah Jane O Sullivan (C), for Perry, with Guthrie dropping to WD.
This produced an instant response, with England outscoring Australia in the final minutes of the quarter. It ended 29 to 21 to Australia, and again it felt as though the game was very much alive and for the taking. The England defence were working incredibly hard, Francis and Guthrie were everywhere, and with O Sullivan providing real drive down the court, options for Harten at GA were opening up.
England remained unchanged again for the start of the second half, but it was Australia who stamped their authority on the match, the shooting, mobility and height of the Australian GS Basset in particular was hurting England, who started to look increasingly desperate as the lead widened. No further changes were made when Harten went down with an injury with the scores at 45 to 29, perhaps that was the point at which there would have been nothing lost by trying something different.
The quarter ended somewhat farcically, with the umpires seemingly in confusion over whether time was up, and then penalising Beckford Chambers. Words must have then been said, and England finished the quarter with Francis and Beckford Chambers stood off the court for the final goal scored by Australia. Score after 3 quarters was 51 to 31 in Australias favour.
To Englands enormous credit, the team did not give up, despite facing defeat in the game which had been a focus for a long time. Perry rejoined the action for the final quarter, with England reverting to their starting 7. The play got increasingly desperate from England towards the end, the desire and emotion written on the players faces, but so to the realisation that a better team had beaten them and controlled most of the match. Passes was thrown away time and time again in an effort to force openings through the very effective Australian defence, and though the England defence continued to work, the Australian attack was clinical, and remained that way to the end.
The tears at the end on the England faces were of disappointment and frustration rather than joy, but credit has to go to Australia, they won the match and deserved to, England didnt lose it. The final score of Australia 63 to England 42 was perhaps flattered by the large margin in the third quarter, but England can have no complaints. The better team won, and England must now re group on the day off that the top 4 teams have, before playing Jamaica in the Bronze Medal match on Thursday.
Shooting Statistics:
Rosie Allison:23/32 72%
Jo Harten:19/24 79%
Overall: 42/56 75%
Speaking afterwards, Jess Garland, England Co-coach reflected on the game plan the England Team had, to penetrate through the middle and avoid Australia forcing the attack wide and to expose the GK one on one with Rosie Allison using her height and power. She said: we started assertively, that was important and good to see, but we then let Australia get away with the errors they were making, but also making our own. We could have easily been level at the end of the first quarter and that would have kept the pressure on them, as it was, pressure built on us. The defence played really well, sticking to the plan to hold Australia up and prevent them getting to the circle edge, but as the pressure built, we had to go hunting more and more and space opened up and they hurt us. We are very proud of this team and what they have achieved so far and we have one more match to make sure that the tournament finishes on a high.
That match will be against Jamaica after they lost in the second semi final against New Zealand 44 to 57. New Zealand pulled away progressively throughout the match, particularly after a nasty knee injury to Romelda Aiken which resulted in her going off initially and then coming back on for the second half, but in obvious pain and severely restricted. Jamaica also lost their Goal Keeper to a knee injury, so they will hope the rest day can provide some recovery time. New Zealand were very efficient, with a quality all round game in all areas of the court, and the trans tasman clash that is to be the final should be a good netball spectacle.
Tuesday 18th August
England 44 vs 24 South Africa, Quarter Final
So the real business has started, and the stadium and the surrounds felt different today. The crowd was larger, more vociferous, with more flags, and definitely more partisan, creating the kind of atmosphere that these championships deserve. At the end of a day when every team has played, with every match meaningful for both teams and with final ranking positions down to 20th place depending on the result, the pre tournament seedings have been confirmed.
We have a semi-final line up of New Zealand, England, Australia, and Jamaica, that is the order in which the teams were seeded after the last World Youth Championships in Florida in 2005. We will look ahead to tomorrows semi-finals shortly, but first, what about the crunch and pressured quarter final against old foes South Africa.
Jess Garland (England Co Coach) had marked South Africa out as possibly the best team outside the established top 4 at this event, so it was never going to be an easy game, in fact England wanted a hard test, the step up from the pool phase was needed to prepare for what was a hoped for semi final encounter. England started with a line up of: Rosie Allison (GS), Jo Harten (GA), Sarah Jane O Sullivan (WA), Serena Guthrie (C), Stacey Francis (WD), Sam Perry (GD), and captain Eboni Beckford Chambers (GK). That line up, which was unchanged until half time, had to endure the pressure of the occasion, the intensity of the challenge thrown their way by South Africa, and they did not find it easy.
The pressure showed with passes going astray, shots missed, and a generally scrappy first quarter, defences were on top by a large margin, and both sides struggled to create any flow or momentum. It must be remembered that for both teams, and all of these players, regardless of their Co-operative Superleague experience, this is up a significant level, and it takes time to adjust. At quarter time, England had squeezed out a marginal lead 6 goals to 4, that tells you everything.
The fight and battle continued in the second quarter, but England were slowly finding their feet, perhaps beginning to feel more comfortable in the loud and raucous environment. They also adjusted, to a degree, to the umpiring approach, which hadnt helped the flow of the game in the first quarter, and by half time had calmed a few nerves in the stand with a 19 to 10 lead.
The England Management team made changes at half time, changes that would be the only ones in the game. This marks a change for the approach until now in this tournament, but then this is the business end of the event. Harten moved to GS, and was joined at GA by Ella Clark. Katy Rose joined at WA, with O Sullivan moving back to C. Guthrie and Francis also moved back to WD and GD respectively, leaving Beckford Chambers to lead from the back at GK, and lead she did. Leading by example, exactly the way you want from your captain when the going gets tough, she took ball after ball, was dominant in defence, and played a leading role in getting England moving forward, where she found allies in the ever hard working mid court combinations.
32 to 15 at three quarter time, turned into 44 to 24 by full time, with the stadium announcer confirming Englands place in the semi-final before the game had finished! He was right though, despite their intense effort, their all court defence, and wonderful competitive spirit, South Africa were beaten by then, but they made this England team work for the honours.
Reflecting afterwards, Co Coach Anna Mayes said: It was obvious from the start that we have arrived at the real part of the event, the unforced errors showed what the pressure does to you. We must remember this is a new level for these players, but today was the adjustment, they feel at home out there now! It was a very physical game, just as we had expected, and our approach to pressurising the Centre and Goal Attack as their play makers, paid off in the later stages. Our substitutions again had a major impact on the match, and it was fantastic to see the composure of Ella Clark and Katy Rose after being pitched in at half time. Eboni though was particularly dominant today, and showed her agility and pace over and over. She lead by example!
So whilst it might not have been pretty throughout the whole match (especially the first 20 minutes), England drew on their determination and match winning ability and desire to earn a semi final against Australia tomorrow evening. Now that is a story worth pointing out, that means its England (seeded 2) against Australia (seeded 3) in the semi final. That is a change from all previous Netball World Championships (after the silver medal in Florida, England had expected to play Jamaica in a semi final this time around).
However, just to add spice to tomorrows game, Australia asked the International Board if it could be changed, to 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3. The change was made, and there would be a certain irony if that resulted in Australia playing New Zealand in a Bronze Medal match!!! The England team are committed to playing their part in making that happen.
When asked about the semi final against Australia, Anna Mayes was not concerned, we have nothing to fear based on what we have seen of Australia so far. They are a good team, but so are we. We need to maintain our composure and discipline to stick to our game plan.
If the atmosphere was pressured today, we expect greater tomorrow, so sit back in England, you may just hear the clash in the middle of your Tuesday night as The Ashes summer visits the wonderful Island of Rarotonga.
England Shooting percentages:
Rosie Allison:10/13 77%
Jo Harten: 25/37 68%
Ella Clark: 9/13 69%
Team overall: 70%
World Youth Netball Championships Quarter Finals
Australia 86 Cook Islands 17
Jamaica 78 Northern Ireland 39
New Zealand 63 Malawi 38
England 44 South Africa 24
Semi Final Draw:
England v Australia
New Zealand v Jamaica
Sunday 16th August update - the Official's perspective
Meanwhile, England is delighted to have a number of other representatives holding key appointments at these championships. We will endeavour to catch up with people like Bill Alexander, Sheelagh Redpath, and Louise Travis later, but early today we did manage to grab a conversation with Gary Burgess and Judith Groves, Gary and Judith (along with Louise) are appointed umpires for this WYNC, and their views and thoughts are fascinating after almost a week of competition.
Thus far, Gary has officiated in 4 games (Australia vs. South Africa, Scotland vs. Northern Ireland, Singapore vs. Malawi & Malawi vs. Jamaica), while Judith has had 3 (South Africa vs. Fiji, South Africa vs. Samoa & New Zealand vs. Barbados). When asked what the challenges were for them at this tournament, both commented on the differing styles of play, and the impact that has on their umpiring style. Malawi stand out as being different, but even the Caribbean Countries present a different approach, and one that umpires have to adapt to very quickly in a tournament like this.
This is supported by the excellent and very constructive guidance and feedback that both have received from the Appointment Panel, all of whom are having to work very hard & long hours. Bill Alexander is on that panel, and we hope to get Bills perspective later. The organisation and support for the Umpires was praised by both Judith and Gary, with particular mention made of the excellent facilities, perhaps a bit of a surprise (given that there had been concerns about it being finished etc).
In terms of what they have made of the team performances on court, Gary was clear that the big 4 have yet to be pushed, so we really dont know how they will cope with the pressure when they are. It is great that every team is involved until the end of the event (a variety of play offs down to 20th place), but it does mean there are in effect at least 3 events running within the event, a point Gary and Judith see and feel from their perspective.
As the teams jostle for semi final places, the same might be said of the Umpires, with Judith admitting that an appointment to semi-final match, or one of the finals day games, would be brilliant. I wouldnt let her think about taking control of the final (because England will be there, so she would be ruled out), but as Gary points out, there is no hiding place as an umpire, and errors stand out. Gary commented; If you have a bad day at the office as a player, your team can possibly cover or compensate for you. We dont have that luxury, and with the Appointments Panel watching every decision, the pressure is on!
What about Garys aspirations for this event?, I see this as just a fantastic experience towards my International Award, he says. I want to umpire at this level and against diverse styles as much as I can, and use it as a bridge to the next level. Finally, both Gary and Judith wanted to stress the excellent support they are getting from England Netball, principally through Sheelagh Redpath and Jan Burke.
What is clear is that whilst the team are striving to make the maximum impact on the court in this tournament, there are some very key England representatives making a very significant impact either behind the scenes, or by providing first class umpiring. Long may that continue, and we hope that England is represented by umpires in the bronze medal match, leaving the team to do their bit in the Final that follows!
Match 4 Saturday 15th August 2009
England 53 v Malaysia 20
England U21 closed out the pool stage of the World Youth Championships tonight here in Rarotonga, with victory over Malaysia to ensure top place in the pool, and a smooth passage into the Quarter Finals and a guaranteed top 8 finish. This game was unusual, in that it literally was the last match in the pool phase, Court 2 remaining empty, and creating a different atmosphere in the brand new facility that these championships are being played in. Up until this point, there have always been 2 matches side by side, but a single court format was used for the opening game, and we will revert to that format for the Semi finals and finals.
England had secured top place in their pool before the game (bar a very heavy defeat impacting on goal average), so co coaches Anna Mayes and Jess Garland could afford to use the whole squad, and play some combinations we hadnt seen before during the championships.
The starting line up of Kirsty Delves (GS), Monique Wood (GA), Katy Rose (WA), Serena Guthrie (C), Sam Perry (WD), Eboni Beckford Chambers (GD), and Lindsay Keable (GK) showed though that the match was far from meaningless to them, Delves leading the line and doing a great job as the first line of defence in creating a turn over and scoring in the early moments. This led to England finding early rhythm and opening out a steady lead. Despite an injury scare to Guthrie in the middle of the quarter, the score of 12 to 5 at quarter time reflected the good, but also a few missed opportunities.
Jo Harten joined Delves in attack for the second half, with Wood moving back to WA. Katy Rose replaced Guthrie at centre, and Beckford Chambers dropped to the bench, with Perry moving to GD, Francis joining at WD. The England pace picked up some what, with ball speed at time a feature, as it has been all tournament so far. Gurthrie and Beckford Chambers have played much of the tournament thus far, so it was good to see England looking good in their absence, and half time at 28 to 12 suggested much more to follow in the second half.
Further changes, for that second half perhaps disrupted the flow a degree, and the third quarter lost some momentum from an England perspective. Never the less, an attacking combination of Rosie Allison and Ella Clark, both young enough to feature in the next World Youth Championships in 2013 shows what this young England team is all about, a very bright future for the elite game in England. Sarah Jane O Sullivan also joined the fray at Centre, with Rose moving back to WA.
Despite some missed passes and untidiness, the all court defence that England showed when Malaysia were in possession was excellent, everyone (especially Francis and Perry) working very hard. 3 Quarter time score- England 38 Malaysia 17. The final quarter saw Wood back on at WA, Rose back to centre, and Beckford Chambers replacing Perry at GD. Some of the sharpness returned, and there were fewer penalties conceded by England, which had been a feature of the 3rd quarter. The young attacking combination started to gel effectively, and England secured the win 53 to 20.
Co-coach Jess Garland said afterwards: We were not as clinical tonight as we would have liked, but we are reassured because we know that there is much more in the tank for when we need it, at the business end of the tournament. I was delighted with the different combinations tonight, especially in the mid court, and with Rosie and Ella together. We can now look forward properly to the knock out stage, and are delighted to be playing South Africa. They are among the best teams here perhaps outside the top 4, and will be a test for us without a doubt. They will be a step up for us, and we will rise to that!
Shooting statistics:
Kirsty Delves: 16/25 64%
Monique Wood:7/10 70%
Jo Harten: 5/9 56%
Rosie Allison: 19/26 73%
Ella Clark: 6/11 55%
So it is a rest day for the whole tournament on Sunday, reflecting the religious beliefs on this lovely island. Monday sees the quarter finals, with all games looking good:
England vs South Africa
Jamaica vs Northern Ireland
New Zealand vs Malawi
Australia vs Cook Islands
Match 3 - Friday 14th August 2009
England 58 v Cook Islands 31
England U21 returned to the court today, having enjoyed a day off, a combination of spending time with the local school that have adopted England, and light training to prepare for the next challenges in the World Youth Championships. Today saw England taking on the host team, the Cook Islands, in front of the largest and most vociferous crowd so far for an England game. Shops on the island shut for a couple of hours so that people could watch the match, which was also due to be shown on the Island TV service. What they saw, was a host team put in a strong performance, and one that made England work right throughout the match, with England running out eventual winners 58 to 31.Both teams had been unbeaten in the pool phase up until todays match, so the winner was likely to come out as pool winners, with the loser still remaining on track to qualify second, and remain in the hunt for the top places in the final standing (The top 2 in each pool are guaranteed to finish in the top 8 of the event, but can all still play through to the final) England started the match with the following team: Jo Harten (GS), Monique Wood (GA), Sarah Jane O Sullivan (WA), Serena Guthrie (C), Stacey Francis (WD), Sam Perry (GD), Eboni Beckford Chambers (GK).
It was the Cook Islands that came out fastest out of the blocks, taking an early lead (1 to 3), England struggled to settle in the atmosphere and against the strong defence of the Cook Islands, a few missed passes, leading to dropped balls also handed possession back to the hosts, but in the middle of the quarter, England started to establish better control, and after scoring 6 on the bounce moved ahead to lead at quarter time 13 to 8. The game was being played fast, with England showing great ball speed, perhaps on the odd occasion just too much for each other. Continuing the approach adopted in the early stage of this tournament, co coaches Anna Mayes and Jess Garland made changes at quarter time, with Rosie Allison coming on at GS, with Jo Harten dropping back to GA. Rosie immediately again showed the calm and composed shooting presence we saw in her previous outing in the event, and with Jo Harten working hard outside the circle, the main shooting responsibilities rested with Rosie for a while.
The defence remained strong, but so was England, with strong and consistent performances by Sam Perry, Eboni Beckford Chambers and Stacey Francis. Increased use of the long ball forward by England opened up more opportunities, and this allowed the lead to stretch to 28 to 16 by half time. The pattern continued into the second half, with England unchanged. Some electric interceptions and turnovers, particularly from Guthrie and Beckford Chambers, but the final pass sometimes going astray, and meaning the move then broke down. Some of the ball speed and progression down the court was fantastic, and when it worked it had the wow factor. England though will probably reflect that it didnt work quite enough to be satisfied over all, but still the lead increased again to 42 to 25 at 3 quarter time.
The final quarter saw more changes, with Ella Clark joining at GA, allowing Jo Haren to move back to GS. Lindsay Keable took over at GK, with Beckford Chambers moving forward to replace Perry at GD. The work rate remained very high from England.� Francis, Guthrie and O Sullivan putting themselves about effectively in the midcourt, and holding their own with the Cook Island players. With two Cook Island players needed to be replaced due to injury during the quarter and Clark and Harten moving very fluidly in attack, the flood gates almost opened, and England ran out victors 58 to 31.
Co Coach Anna Mayes said afterwards: This game was a good opportunity to play a pressure game, the host team, in front of a large crowd. Both teams contested really well throughout the game, but we need to show a greater degree of composure at times and in all quarters of the match, otherwise the great passages of play are let down.� I was really pleased to see the impact that players are having coming off the bench, that shows the depth and the options that we have which could be vital at the later stages of this tournament.
In summary, a good job done again by this young team, but they also know that when the pressure steps up later in the event, the composure will have to be greater, and the errors reduced.
Match 2 - Wednesday 12th August 2009
England 57 Wales 32
The World U21 Netball Championships took a distinctly European championship flavour today, with Scotland playing Northern Ireland, and England taking on Wales. For England, looking to build upon the very positive performance against Vanuatu on Tuesday, this was a game not to be underestimated, with local knowledge and familiarity always a danger. Wales on the other hand, were looking to bounce back after their opening day defeat to the hosts the Cook Islands, and get their group qualification aims back on track.
England started with a line up of Rosie Allison (GS), Jo Harten (GA), Katy Rose (WA), Sarah Jane O Sullivan (C), Serena Guthrie (WD), Eboni Beckford Chambers (GD), and Lindsay Keable (GK). This was Rosie Allisons first game at these championships, and she made a telling shooting contribution, hitting 13 out of 14 attempts in the first half.
The Welsh started the game meaning business, a very spirited and whole hearted commitment from them saw England forced into a number of stray passes, and whilst individually there were some good performances, England did not settle easily in to the match. Lindsay Keable impressed defensively in the first quarter, turning the ball over and reading the Welsh play effectively. At the other end of the court meanwhile, England will be disappointed with the number of times the final pass went astray or to a Welsh hand. Nevertheless, England took the first quarter honours 11 to 7.
England Cocoaches Anna Mayes and Jess Garland showed that they are willing to make changes, and have the squad to do so, when for the start of the second quarter, the mid court changed, O Sullivan to WA, Guthrie to C, and Stacey Francis coming on at WD, where she had been very effective against Vanuatu. The change seemed to release even more energy from Guthrie, who again proved a dynamite in the mid court all match, but made in particular three telling interceptions in a row during the second quarter. The speed and intensity of the game increased, but the errors were still there as well, long balls into Allison being tried, but too many just off target. The Welsh were happy to hold their own, and this approach resulted in a warning for the Welsh Goalkeeper after a hefty shove on Allison. England increased their advantage slightly through the quarter to 23 to 16 at half time, but were left searching for control and dominance.
Further changes for the second half, with Jo Harten moving to GS, Kirsty Delves coming on at GA, Sam Perry at WD, and Francis moving back to GD. The pattern of the game remained pretty similar, with England extending their lead further, doing the job that needed to be done, but perhaps making harder work of it at times than they needed to. Credit to the Welsh however for forcing England into that approach.
Jo Harten looked even more at ease at GS, and her consistency and contribution, both in shooting and general play in and around the circle, was a major factor. The work rate remained high, and saw England take a 40 to 26 lead into the final quarter. Captain Eboni Beckford Chambers came back on for the final quarter, along with Katy Rose at WA, and Monique Wood at GA. Wales continued to take the game to England, but control was coming more and more, and assured and calm shooting from Wood to match that of Harten, gradually saw England open a wider margin.
England ran out victors 57 to 32 at the end, and reflecting on a performance that achieved the required result, cocoach Jess Garland observed: It was good to have been pushed so hard this early in the tournament, and credit to Wales for doing that. It was particularly good to see the second half score (34 to 16), and again a match where 11 of the squad played. Now its a case of looking forward with a rest day tomorrow, and sharpening up some of what we do in the games ahead.
Shooting statistics:
Jo Harten: 33/39 = 85%
Rosie Allison 13/14 = 93%
Kirsty Delves 5/11 = 45%
Monique Wood 6/7 = 86%
Team average = 57/71 = 80%
Match 1 - Tuesday 11th August 2009
England 110 Vanuatu 9
Englands National U21 Team opened their account at the World Youth Championships in the Cook Islands with a comprehensive and thoroughly professional performance against Pacific island minnows Vanuatu. England started the competition with the intention of showing that they mean business in this event, they are defending a silver medal from the equivalent event four years ago in Florida, and they didnt disappoint, as the starting 7 players dominated from the start.
The starting line up for this opening game was Jo Harten GS, Monique Wood GA, Sarah Jane O Sullivan WA, Serena Guthrie C, Stacy Francis WD, Sam Perry GD, and Captain Ebony Beckford Chambers GK. Co-coaches Anna Mayes and Jess Garland were able to use 11 of the 12 squad players in the game, with only Rosie Allison being kept fresh for challenges ahead, although the starting 7 completed the first half unchanged.
England showed a pace and quality from the very start of the game, with ball speed and progression through the court a particular feature. Vanuatu were given little chance to show their athleticism or skill, as Guthrie and Francis in particular constantly broke up any possession or play they had. The attacking combination, from Guthrie, O Sullivan, Harten and Wood, looked smooth, organised, efficient, and linked up well together to give some impressive statistics. Harten scoring 32 goals in the first half (for 88% success), while Wood hit 24 (85%).
Score at quarter time was England 26 Vanuatu 04, with that score extending to England 56 Vanuatu 05 by halftime. At halftime, England brought on Kirsty Delves (GS) and Ella Clarke (GA), with Katy Rose (C) and Lindsay Keable (GK). O Sullivan remained at WA, Francis at WD, while Beckford Chambers moved to GD. The chances continued to flow, and the defensive efforts remained equally impressive from England, although the shooting levels dropped somewhat as the new line up found its feet.
3rd Quarter score: England 85 Vanuatu 06. The final quarter saw Perry back on at WD (for Francis), Guthrie return at Centre, and Rose move forward to WA. England maintained the pressure in all areas of the court, and looked determined to make their mark by hitting three figures, and despite the margin minimise any opportunities that came the way of Vanuatu.
The final score of England 110 Vanuatu 09 was a reflection on a highly competent England performance, and great start to a campaign for medal honours. Greater challenges await, but as a start, this was very efficient and a clear statement of intent. Co-Coach Anna Mayes said afterwards: We started as we mean to go on - showing our strength across all 4 quarters and in all areas of the court. It was great to see the ball being turned over in all areas by everyone, showing the effort and intensity this team have. Most players had the chance to play today in our first game, which is good, but we look forward to the rest of the pool games expecting and demanding more.
In other matches so far, Australia 73 beat South Africa 22, while Jamaica rattled up a century against local rivals the USA. Jamaica ran out victors 109 to 12. Fiji beat Samoa, and the hosts (Cook Islands) followed up their opening night victory over Wales, with second win over Malaysia.
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