KEY POINTS:
Transtasman netball championship leaders Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic face a test of their mettle when they sally across the Tasman to take on the Melbourne Vixens on Monday night.
Led by inspirational international goal attack Sharelle McMahon, the Vixens will be wanting to right their ship after losing 46-47 to the Southern Steel in the last round - their second loss in three outings.
That defeat left them fourth on the table on goal difference.
The Magic, on 16 points from eight wins, suffered their only defeat of the competition so far when they crossed the Tasman for round three in April.
They were completely outplayed by the New South Wales Swifts, losing 47-50.
Magic coach Noeline Taurua said the Vixens would be desperate to live up to their mantle as one of the competition's best teams - they would be very tough to beat at home.
They had a star-studded side with a tall and experienced defensive line while the dynamic McMahon and young shooter Caitlin Thwaites would thrive in their own environment.
The only non-starter for the Magic is goal defender Jodi Tod who turned an ankle badly in the 56-50 win over the Queensland Firebirds in Rotorua in the last round.
Joline Henry is expected to partner the indomitable Casey Williams in the heart of the Magic defence in Melbourne while upfront, the ever-improving attacking combination of Iren Van Dyk and Maria Tutaia will be a constant worry for the Vixens' defence.
Former Silver Fern Tanya Dearns predicted that with Taurua at the helm, the Magic will surely emerge as one of the finalists in late July.
Dearns said today her former Silver Ferns teammate had moulded the abundance of talent in her side into a cohesive unit while allowing for individual flair.
"She's innovative, adds variety and does something different with the players each week," she said.
"She's old school, she doesn't muck around, she calls a spade a spade and her players know where she's coming from."
Taurua often does the unexpected and there was more than a little surprise when she named rookie Halan Leith to start at wing attack against the Firebirds.
Leith, with just a quarter of a match under her belt up to then, repaid her coach's faith with a steady and confident showing.
Dearns said the manner of the big win over the Firebirds showed that the Magic were developing into a menacing combination.
"We all know the quality in that team but in the Firebirds game, there was no throwing long balls away, most of the passes into Irene were calculated and well-judged.
"They did show patience and reset their plays when things weren't on which is something they haven't done consistently to date.
"Also, the injuries and disruption didn't put them off stride. When Jodi Tod went off, the repositioning of players was seamless.
"There was no stop in their flow and the Firebirds were unable to take any advantage."
- NZPA
