Tactix display confidence to catch Mystics unawares
The Canterbury Tactix have the sniff of a major boilover and are confident of wrecking the Northern Mystics hopes of finishing the round-robin section of the trans-Tasman netball league on top.
The teams meet tomorrow at CBS Canterbury Arena in Christchurch and, while the Tactix still prop up the 10-team competition from last spot and the Mystics are tied for first, there is an air of confidence around the Red and Blacks.
They have form on their side too and it would have to be a supremely naive and arrogant Mystics side that came down here expecting a walkover.
They were beaten in a nailbiter by the resurgent Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic last week, while the Tactix enjoyed a rare and confidence building win.
And while the win was enjoyed and well needed, it was the nature of it that should be worrying the Mystics players and management.
The Tactix were easily their best all season in the 62-61 win over the Southern Steel on Monday in Invercargill.
They moved the ball better than they have, their error rate was the lowest it has been and the shooting was finally a strength.
Better yet, they still feel they can improve.
Midcourter Keshia Grant this week said the Tactix were confident they could improve on Monday’s win and last month’s one-goal loss to the Mystics.
‘‘We are confident; we’re confident we can win and the fact that we’re 10th and they’re in the top four doesn’t matter to us,’’ she said.
‘‘Coming off that win gives us a big boost. Our heads were down a little but that win shows what we can do when we play like we know we can.’’ Grant said while it had taken too long to get it right, the way the players combined together well in Monday’s win was probably the major boost for them mentally.
‘‘It would have been nicer to get that stuff right earlier in the season but it’s working well now,’’ she said.
The Mystics, last year’s beaten ANZ Championship finalists, are in danger of missing out on the top four if they don’t finish strongly.
They are one of three teams tied for first on 16 points with two rounds to go but the Magic and New South Wales Swifts – the Mystics’ final round opponents – are two points (one win) behind – the Auckland-based side can’t afford a slip-up.
When the teams met last month, the Tactix shot well and got their shots away earlier, taking some of the venom out of the Mystics’ much lauded defence.
To tip them over, the Tactix will need to do even better tomorrow but on last week’s form they should have every confidence in themselves and it appears they do.
‘‘Of course we’ll be positive and do everything we can, that’s all you can do,’’ Grant said.