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Northern Force coach Yvonne Willering has promised another tough and bruising encounter for Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic sharpshooter Irene van Dyk in their national netball league's semifinal in Tauranga on Sunday.
After the round-three clash last month, won 54-42 by the Magic, coach Nicole Dryden sought an explanation from the umpires over the battering van Dyk took from her former Silver Ferns teammate Linda Vagana.
However, Willering took issue with those accusations, saying both teams were simply competing for the ball.
"I find that interesting because we came out of that game feeling the same way," she said.
"I don't buy that at all. There is going to be some contact, it's going to be inevitable. When two teams are playing one-on-one you are always going to have a certain amount of contact."
Willering said Sunday's match at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre would be no different.
"It's going to be a tough encounter, as simple as that," she said.
"There is a lot at stake for both teams so of course any loose ball is fair game ... either we close her (van Dyk) down or we stop her getting the ball."
Willering said van Dyk's size and stance meant contact was inevitable between her and the defenders.
"She takes up a lot of space and it's very hard to get around her."
The rangy 1.91m goal shoot was the difference between the two sides last time they met, nailing 40 of 48 shots, while the Force shooters had an off-day. Despite having three more attempts than their Magic counterparts, Daneka Wipiiti and Teresa Tairi netted 12 fewer goals.
However, the Force have hit form at the right time, last weekend ending the 14-game unbeaten streak of five-time champions Southern Sting with a 60-48 victory.
"Obviously the game against the Sting gave us a lot of confidence," Willering said. It was a vast improvement on our form this season and shows that as a team we're progressing."
Particularly pleasing for the Force coach was a welcome return to form from Wipiiti, who was the player of the match.
The winner of Sunday's game will meet the loser of tonight's top-two clash between the Canterbury Flames and the Sting for the last spot in the final of the National Bank Cup.
- NZPA
Netball: Bruising time ahead for van Dyk
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