Netball: Magic combo jolts Mystics

Bay of Plenty Magic coach Noeline Taurua. Photo / Kelvin Teixeira

The Magic unveiled some new-look combinations and a new strip yesterday as they ramped up their transtasman league build-up with a decisive win over the Northern Mystics.

The Waikato/Bay of Plenty side, now playing with a flash of royal blue on the sleeve, made a Mystics side that had looked the goods against the NSW Swifts the previous weekend appear decidedly average, toppling them 62-54 in a preseason friendly.

The Te Awamutu Events Centre match was played over five 15-minute periods, allowing each team to experiment liberally with their bench.

It also gave Magic coach Noeline Taurua a chance to look at her two potential starting goal attacks - Jamilah Gupwell and Julianna Naoupu - against the northerners' rigorous defence.

Both players are new to the Magic set-up this year with Taurua wisely choosing not to put all her eggs in one basket when it came to finding a new partner for Irene van Dyk in the shooting circle, following the retirement of former Fern Jodi Brown.

But for a few anxious moments Taurua may have contemplated starting the season without her mercurial shooter, with van Dyk injuring herself in a nasty collision.

Van Dyk is the key scoring threat not only for the Magic but also for the Silver Ferns, and as such remains one of New Zealand netball's most precious commodities - particularly with the world championships just around the corner.

The crowd's anxiety was palpable when she called time and limped gingerly to the sidelines midway through the third period after a collision with Mystics defender Anna Scarlett. After having treatment on her calf, the star shooter played out the rest of the quarter, but did not look comfortable.

She was subbed at the end of the third quarter in what Taurua confirmed was a pre-determined move as part of her plan to give her entire squad of 12 a run during the lengthened game.

Taurua said van Dyk had suffered a "charlie" after copping a knee in the back of the calf, but she expects the veteran shooter to bounce back quickly.

She admits, though, to feeling a split second of panic when van Dyk called injury time - something rarely seen in her lengthy career.

"I think everyone is the same, they just hold their breath and think 'oh no', but then the next second you look over and she's smiling. So it takes a lot to keep her down."

But the incident did highlight what Taurua had already acknowledged would be one of the key challenges of the 2011 season - ensuring she has strong options off the bench so she can manage the workload of her star players over a demanding season condensed into 15 weeks.

"I think the most important thing is that with our international players, we don't run them to the ground and keep them as balanced as possible. That's going to be a big challenge," she said.

"With the double headers we need to make sure we have some good strong combos and options off the bench instead of killing off our top seven, which we've done in the past."

Yesterday's convincing win over the Mystics certainly showcased some strong depth, particularly on defence, but Taurua said she came away with a long list of work-ons.

"It was a start, put it that way," she said.

"It gives us a clear direction on where we need to take training over the next two weeks, plus the combinations we need to be working on."

The Mystics, too, came away with the feeling they have much to work on ahead of their season-opener against the Southern Steel next Monday.

But after an impressive showing against the Swifts last weekend, Mystics assistant coach Jenny-May Coffin said the loss to the Magic served as a timely wake-up call for her side.

"I think after last week they were starting to think, 'Yeah, we're pretty good,' said Coffin, "so for them to see now that they haven't got it all sussed is probably a good thing."