‘Second-best’ Pulse finish a distant second
A cheer went around Te Rauparaha Arena, halfway through the second quarter.
It was to greet the moment the Central Pulse narrowed the Southern Steel’s lead from 21 goals to 20. That’s right, 20 goals. Steel 35 Pulse 15, that made it.
There was only going to be one winner from there and the Steel duly went on to record a thoroughly resounding 80-44 victory in Porirua last night.
And all credit to them. This wasn’t the Mainland Tactix the Steel were playing, who they’ve already put 90 goals on during this national netball premiership season.
No, this was a Pulse team which the table says are the second best team in the competition.
Second best indeed. The Pulse were playing catchup from the opening centre pass, turning over their first possession to concede an early 2-0 lead.
Things just deteriorated from there, thanks to some horrific work on attack.
The Steel haven’t won 10-from10 this year by accident. They’re a good team whose greatest strength is an ability to score quickly.
They’re far from infallible, though.
But if you’re are going to beat them, then the absolute nonnegotiable is that you look after your own ball and get it to a shot and then convert those shot into goals.
You can hope to unsettle and disrupt Shannon Francois and Gina Crampton in the Steel’s midcourt and break up their connections with shooters Jhaniele Fowler-Reid and Te Paea SelbyRickit, but that alone is not going to win you the game.
The care for possession is critical and the Pulse showed no ability to do that in the early going.
From 2-0 down, they soon trailed 18-9 and went into quartertime behind 23-10.
The Steel then scored the first five goals of the second quarter, to snuff out any suggestion of a comeback. The Pulse’s effort on defence continued to be there, but they could make no headway with the ball and went to halftime down 42-24.
With the result settled, the interest was going to be in seeing how ruthless the Steel could be. The Pulse aren’t a mug team and, playing at home, were always going to keep battling away and test the Steel’s ability to go on with the job, which isn’t easy when you’re so far in front.
Again, though, proceedings followed the now familiar pattern. Pulse circle defenders Katrina Grant and Phoenix Karaka battled hard, but the Steel still began the final 15 minutes leading 62-33.
The Pulse have endured some shocking defeats in their time, particularly against Australian opposition.
But – without wanting to labour the point too long – this was first against second in the national premiership, not first against last.
You can waffle on about wakeup calls and say better now than in the playoffs. But this was a dreadful performance from the Pulse and one that can’t just be excused or brushed off.
Things got a bit ragged near the end, as the benches were emptied, but not to the extent that the Steel’s superiority was seriously threatened. On this evidence, they’re going to take some beating this season.