Rep netballers aim to finish on high note

Wairarapa have no show of successfully defending their regional superleague netball title this season, but they can end pool play on a high note.
With two wins from their four matches Wairarapa are already consigned to playing off for no better than third placing overall, still a commendable effort when you consider that the opposition in 2006 is considerably stronger overall than what it was 12 months ago.
Up against Wairarapa at Wellington East College tomorrow night is St Mary's Old Girls, the only unbeaten team in their pool and a big chance to be the new champions.
It is a testing assignment for Wairarapa, but one which coach Marion Tulloch, pictured above, believes her players will relish.
"This is their chance to pull off a big one, and they'll give it their best shot, I'm sure of that," she said.
Statistics show that SMOG are a powerful defensive unit with all opposing teams struggling to score goals against them, and Tulloch said Wairarapa would be adopting tactics which hopefully would allow them to bring their shooters into play on a consistent basis.
These tactics would include relying on short passes and making sound decisions when in possession on the ball.
"Games like this are all about thinking on your feet and taking opportunities, and that's where we need to excel," she said. "We have to put at least as much pressure on them as they put on us, we can't afford to let them dictate."
Coming back into the Wairarapa team for this particular game are St Matthew's Collegiate players Ella Biggs, Harriet Somerville and Pip Lynch, who all missed last weekend's win over Maidstone United because they were involved in an inter-school tournament.