Netball: Sting-busters

Former Silver Ferns captain Anna Rowberry will never forget the moment.

The Otago Rebels' win over the Sting in the inaugural national franchise final - while not quite as emphatic as the Silver Ferns' world championship win in Jamaica two years ago - rates highly in Rowberry's memory bank.

Probably even more so since the Rebels are the only team to have ever beaten the Sting in a cup final.

"To me, undoubtedly that was one of the best teams I have ever played in," Rowberry said.

"We were such great mates off the court - even today we are still close.

"We are actually planning to have a reunion in 2008 to celebrate the win. It was a special time for all of us."

The Rebels, who won the match in Dunedin 57-50, were coached by Georgina Salter. Along with Rowberry the starting seven included Jo Morrison, Belinda Colling, Lesley Rumball, Victoria Edward, Belinda Charteris and Katie Fay, with a young Adine Wilson sitting on the bench.

The Sting were a fairly inexperienced unit but included a pretty handy shooter by the name of Donna Loffhagen and a world-class defender in Bernice Mene.

Back then the Rebels were like the Sting of today. They were unbeaten in 22 consecutive games through 1998 and in 1999, before losing to the Sting in the 1999 final.

So as the only team to have beaten the Sting in a final, the million-dollar question is, how did they do it?

Rowberry reckons the key to beating the Sting is to crack their air of invincibility, which has come after years of continual success.

"I know we had that feeling in Otago and even if you were down by 10 at halftime we knew that we would still win.

"You had trust in your team-mates. It is a huge edge that the Sting have and that is probably what Australia had over the Ferns for many years. Cracking that is the key."

To win, the Magic simply had "to perform to their best", Rowberry said.

"Which they have done over the competition. They have got a pretty good shot."

Oamaru-based Salter, who coached the Cook Islands in the last world championships, believes success over the Sting stemmed from the fact that her team had played together for longer.

The bulk of Salter's Rebels team played for Otago in the national provincial championships, therefore relationships and links through court were already well-established.

Salter's advice for Magic coach Noeline Taurua is "to build on what they have got".

"They are going to a place they have never been before [the final] and it is about how they are going to cope with it. They have got to find the technical weaknesses in the Sting."

Salter said the Magic would have to be clever about the way they released the ball into sharpshooter Irene van Dyk.

"They can't afford to send the long ball down to Irene. They'll get away with it once but the Sting defence won't let them do it twice. They have to be disciplined with the tactics they play."

Magic goal attack and new Silver Fern Anna Senio will also need to be on her game.

"She has to be an option to the ball. She just has to get it and pass it to Irene because she is taller than both the Sting defenders."

But Salter's money is on the Sting.

"I think the Magic are vulnerable. You can see when the Rebels played and beat them it was because Anna Scarlett took Irene van Dyk out of the game and what did they have? Nothing."

So there is every chance when the final whistle sounds in Invercargill tonight that Salter's Rebels will remain the only team to taste success against the mighty Sting.

* Possible lineups Invercargill, tonight 7.30, live on TV One


Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
GS: Irene van Dyk
GA: Anna Senio
WA: Amigene Metcalfe
C: Laura Langman
WD: Rebecca Gabel
GD: Joline Henry
GK: Casey Williams
Bench: Kiri Adams, Louise Moffat, Karla Sutton, Arahi Wall.
Coach: Noeline Taurua.

Southern Sting
GS: Tania Dalton
GA: Donna Loffhagen
WA: Adine Wilson
C: Lesley Rumball
WD: Wendy Telfer
GD: Jenny Ferguson
GK: Anna Galvan.
Bench: Katie Fay, Sarah Barnes, Renee Jacobsen, Kylie Smith, Debbie Telfer.
Coach: Robyn Broughton


Past winners
2004: Sting 63 Flames 55
2003: Sting 51 Force 49
2002: Sting 54 Flames 48
2001: Sting 47 Flames 44
2000: Sting 43 Flames 40
1999: Sting 63 Rebels 54
1998: Otago Rebels 57 Sting 50


The Sting and the Magic have met 8 times in the National Bank Cup's eight-year history. Sting have won 6, Magic 2. Last encounter was round five this year, where the Magic won 56-42 in Invercargill.