Netball: Surprise losses shake up cup odds

The National Bank Cup was thrown wide open yesterday when the competition's big guns, the Sting and the Magic, were both beaten.

The Sting went down to a determined Diamonds side in Auckland, while the Magic failed to get themselves out of first gear in losing to the Rebels in Dunedin.

By staying within five goals the Magic and Sting took a point each.

The unbeaten Sting machine rolled into Auckland down on horsepower with key defender Megan Hutton and midcourter Adine Wilson missing through injury.

It was close all the way, the Sting leading the first three quarters 12-11, 20-19 and 32-30.

But some tough Diamonds defence in the last 15 minutes brought the Sting to a standstill and the Auckland side pushed past.

For the Diamonds each and every player came to the party. Shooters Jodi Te Huna and Jo Morrison rotated the circle well and landed 44 from 52 attempts. Anna Rowberry and Krystal Feterika-Opetaia blasted through the midcourt.

The Diamonds' only failing was getting the speed wobbles and turning over valuable ball.

Their success stemmed from their defence. For the first time in a long time the Sting's dynamic duo of Donna Loffhagen and Tania Dalton were shut down by Kathryn Harby-Williams and Stephanie Bond.

Bond had an impressive game and the relentless Harby-Williams continued to give the impression that if she were run over by a tractor she would still get up.

Diamonds coach Sue Hawkins said her side's precision in the last quarter was the telling difference.

"We didn't throw the ball away and that is what we said to each other, 'Let's control it'.

"There was real ticker out there ... Under pressure they stayed on track, they stayed to the formula and they really backed each other."

Sting coach Robyn Broughton conceded the loss was possibly the result of an untried combination but took confidence from the way her side stuck with the Diamonds.

"They are kicking themselves but I said, 'Look, to come out here and away from home with a new-look team is fine'. I'm not relaxed because we have a lot to work on but certainly I am not kissing goodbye to it."

Few would have expected the Rebels to upset the star-studded Magic. The Rebels turned a four-goal lead at the first-quarter break into a nine-goal lead at halftime.

The Magic closed the gap to two going into the last quarter but let it slip out again in the final 15 minutes.

Magic coach Noeline Taurua said the Rebels simply played with "more heart and determination".

"I spoke to Lois [Muir] after the match and her comment was, 'I am sorry it is your team but we needed the win. We couldn't afford any more losses if we are looking at the top four.'

"They came out more up-tempo than us - not that we took them for granted or anything. We just backed off ... and we didn't attack the ball."

Taurua said the Rebels' shooting combination of Katie Ritchie and Angela Mitchell was particularly consistent.

In other matches the Northern Force beat the Capital Shakers 60-34 in Wellington and the Flames beat the Flyers in Christchurch 66-32.