Netball: Pulse still off pace against Aussie sides

Pulse centre Joline Henry secures possession. Her side struggled again last night. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ghosts of seasons past continue to haunt Wellington side in 24-goal rout by Vixens.

The Central Pulse's off-season efforts to address their struggles against the Australian sides has failed to produce any obvious difference in the opening round of the ANZ Championship netball competition.

The Pulse, regarded as one of New Zealand's big title hopes this year, got their season off to an unconvincing start, slumping to a 24-goal defeat (64-40) to the defending champion Vixens in Melbourne yesterday as the ghosts of seasons past continue to haunt the Wellington side.

Despite boasting a powerful line-up stacked with past and present internationals, it was the Pulse's inability to beat the Australian sides last year which cost them a place in the playoffs. Pulse captain Katrina Grant said her side had worked hard to address their poor record against the Aussie teams in the off-season.

But the way in which the Vixens so effortlessly dismantled the Pulse yesterday would suggest their game plan still does not stack up against the relentless pressure of the Australian style of defence. The loss compounded the team's miserable record of never having registered a win on the other side of the Tasman, while also failing to break their duck of never winning a first-round match in the competition.

Perhaps lulled into a false sense of security after winning two recent pre-season games against the same opposition, the Pulse were left wanting in the one that really counted and consistently punished for their lack of accuracy. Much of the credit for the Pulse's poor execution in the attack end can go to Vixens' star defensive pairing of Bianca Chatfield and Geva Mentor, who put the visitors under huge pressure in the shooting circle.

The other two transtasman contests over the weekend were much more competitive with the Southern Steel pushing the NSW Swifts to the wire in a high-scoring shoot-out in Invercargill last night.

While much has been made of the New Zealand teams' struggles on Australian soil, the Swifts also have a poor record in New Zealand, heading into last night's match with just one win from their last seven games in New Zealand. But the star-studded Swifts are on another level this season, matching the prolific scoring abilities of Steel import Jhaniele Fowler-Reid with an impressive attacking display to record a 68-62 win.

With only two players involved in the Silver Ferns' January tour to Fiji, the Steel have had the benefit of a prolonged build-up together and that preparation was evident from the team's fluidity through court. But lapses in intensity from the young Steel side towards the end of each quarter proved costly for the home side, who could not match the Swifts' steady display.

The under-rated Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic opened their 2015 campaign in style after pulling off an important 45-44 away win over the Thunderbirds to kick-start the eighth edition of the competition in stunning fashion in Adelaide on Saturday afternoon.

Pre-season form counted for little as Magic unleashed two game-breaking youngsters in defender Kristiana Manu'a and exciting shooter Malia Paseka who helped change the Magic's fortunes.

ANZ Championship

• Magic 45-44 Thunderbirds.
• Fever 57-50 Firebirds.
• Vixens 64-40 Pulse.
• Swifts 68-62 Steel.

Tonight:

• 7.40pm Tactix v Mystics, Christchurch