live
Silver Ferns vs Diamonds Constellation Cup first Test — live updates and scores
The world's two best netball teams meet for the 16th edition of the Constellation Cup.
asserted
Ferns → meet → Cup
The Aussie Diamonds are looking to test themselves against the Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning New Zealand Silver Ferns ahead of next year's World Cup in Sydney.
asserted
Diamonds → look → Sydney
Meanwhile, Courtney Bruce is set to play her 100th Test.
asserted
Bruce → set → Test
She becomes the Diamonds' seventh centurion and the second defender to reach the milestone after Liz Ellis.
asserted
She → become → Ellis
The first game will be played in Auckland.
asserted
game → play → Auckland
New: Filters
Choose what information you see below by using filters
New Zealand on the board
Nweke answers at the other end for the Silver Ferns.
SCORE: Level 1-all
Key Event
asserted
you → choose → Event
The game is underway
First centre pass is Australia's and Austin slots the first goal.
asserted
Austin → slot → goal
SCORE: Australia leads 1-0
Key Event
asserted
Australia → lead → ?
Starting 7s are in
We now know who will hit the court at Auckland City Arena for the opening game.
asserted
who → start → game
The Diamonds have made several changes to their starting line-up from the bronze medal match in Glasgow.
asserted
Diamonds → make → Glasgow
Koenen get the start ahead of Garbin.
asserted
Koenen → get → Garbin
Without Moloney available there's a shift in the midcourt with captain Watson starting at centre, allowing Horjus to take the WA bib.
asserted
Horjus → be → bib
Meanwhile, Garrett starts in GD with Weston ruled out of the series.
asserted
Weston → start → series
GS – Cara Koenen
GA – Kiera Austin
WA – Georgie Horjus
C – Liz Watson
WD – Jamie-Lee Price
GD – Matilda Garrett
GK – Courtney Bruce
SUBS: Sophie Dwyer, Sophie Garbin, Jessie Grenvold, Sarah Klau, Amy Parmenter
NEW ZEALAND
The Silver Ferns have also made some changes to the starting seven that won gold.
asserted
that → make → gold
Reuelu-Buchanan misses out, Heffernan takes her spot at WD and that moves Gordon to centre and allows Poi to start the game at WA
asserted
Poi → miss → WA
Sarah Klau's inclusion
Defender Sarah Klau was still named in Australia’s Constellation Cup squad despite being fined $5,000 by Netball Australia and handed a two-match ban for breaching the sport’s code of conduct and bringing the game into disrepute.
asserted
Klau → name → disrepute
Klau plead guilty in a Sydney court to common assault after kicking a bouncer in the back when she was denied entry to a pub back in June.
asserted
she → plead → June
The matter came to light after Klau played in the team at the Commonwealth Games and an investigation was launched into the timeline of events to determine whether the athlete knew they were being summoned to court prior to leaving the country for Scotland.
asserted
they → come → Scotland
Ultimately, the sanction has been suspended by Netball Australia for 12 months pending good behaviour.
asserted
sanction → suspend → behaviour
This cleared Klau to play in the Constellation Cup but fans have still been divided on her inclusion.
asserted
fans → clear → inclusion
Its likely the omission already of fellow defender Jo Weston impacted the decision to keep her in the Diamonds squad.
asserted
omission → it → squad
Courtney Bruce is set to play her 100th cap and become the Diamonds' seventh ceturion tonight.
asserted
Bruce → set → cap
Bruce is also the second defender to reach the milestone after Liz Ellis.
asserted
Bruce → reach → Ellis
Meanwhile, if Sophie Garbin comes off the bench she will hit 50 Tests.
asserted
she → come → Tests
Captain Liz Watson is also expected to claim the record for most Constellation Cup games (37) overtaking Kiwi legend and fellow midcourter Laura Langman.
uncertain
Watson → expect → Langman
If defender Jessie Grenvold makes it on court, it will be her international debut.
asserted
it → make → court
Liz Ellis (defender) 122 games
Sharelle McMahon (shooter) 118 games
Cath Cox (shooter) 108 games
Liz Watson (midcourter) 108 games
Vicki Wilson (shooter) 104 games
Caitlin Bassett (shooter) 102 games
Courtney Bruce (defender) 100 games
The squad lists
Both team's have built their 14-player squads around the Commonwealth Games but there are some changes.
asserted
team → build → Games
There will be no Jo Weston this series for the Diamonds after the defender ruled herself out.
asserted
defender → rule → herself
Weston wanted to take a break to rest her body and focus on her Masters studies at Deakin University.
asserted
Weston → want → University
Added to the squad are all three Commonwealth Games reserves: Donnell Wallam, Amy Parmenter and Jessie Grenvold.
asserted
reserves → add → squad
The Silver Ferns will be without Catherine Hall as she recovers from an ACL injury she sustained in Glasgow.
asserted
she → recover → Glasgow
They have also added three of their six reserves from the major tournament: Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Peta Toeava and Parris Mason.
asserted
They → add → tournament
According to Netball Scoop:Overall, the Diamonds have 211 games worth of Constellation Cup experience, compared to the Silver Ferns with 140.
#DressGate
The dress that caused a stir in Glasgow for potentially being too short made by Commonwealth Games Australia uniform provider Valour Sport will not be used for this series.
uncertain
that → accord → series
This actually has nothing to do with the controversy surrounding the major tournament as that dress was specifically made for the Games and would not have been used beyond that event anyway.
asserted
dress → have → event
However, it was important following that drama that Netball Australia ensure its next kit would be fit for purpose, taking on athlete feedback and midcourter Jamie-Lee Price worked closely with new provider ASICS to design a dress for this series that hopefully won’t hitch up while the team is in action.
asserted
team → follow → action
“Athletes come in all shapes and sizes and you want to make sure that they all feel comfortable in the dress, so that’s probably been the priority for us as players is to have something that is functional and doesn’t just look great when you’re standing still, so far it’s been awesome,” Amy Parmenter told ABC Sport.
asserted
Parmenter → come → Sport
The Kiwi influx
It'll be interesting to see how each team fares after so much exposure to each other in the domestic Super Netball season.
asserted
team → see → season
With unlimited imports allowed in the Australian league and New Zealand's competition struggling in recent years, there has been a big influx of Kiwi talent that now get to train alongside and play against the Diamonds every week.
asserted
that → allow → Diamonds
Next season there has been even more New Zealand players signed and once this Constellation Cup wraps up Diamond Sophie Dwyer and Silver Fern Grace Nweke will link up for pre-season training as new teammates at the Sydney Sirens.
asserted
Dwyer → sign → Sirens
Dwyer told ABC Sport that Nweke was a huge threat in this series.
asserted
Nweke → tell → series
…and 47 more, not listed.
The Aporia