Ferns snap drought to lift Constellation Cup
the afternoon.
As good as some of the Crusaders’ tries were, the play of the day arguably deserves to go to wings Sevu Reece and Leicester Fainga’anuku.
After all, down 3-0 early, it was their remarkable 80 metre scramble which denied Hurricanes pivot Jackson Garden-Bachop an intercept try.
Garden-Bachop looked certain to put the Hurricanes 8-0 up in the 11th minute, only for Reece and Fainga’anuku to bundle him out as he attempted to touch down.
The Crusaders took a quarter of the match to fire any shots, and instead found themselves firmly on the backfoot against a fired up Hurricanes side.
Jordie Barrett kicked the visitors to a 6-0 lead after 14 minutes, although the Hurricanes would have been up by more had the bounce of the ball gone their way when Ardie Savea, having carved open the hosts, kicked for wing Wes Goosen.
Instead, having weathered the storm, the Crusaders got a sniff when Savea was yellow carded for dragging down a driving maul on his own goal line.
A few minutes later, hooker Taylor crashed over from a quicktap, the first of four first-half tries in the space of 17 minutes.
Up 14-6 after 25 minutes, the Crusaders were humming, earning repeat penaltes and drilling the frustrated Hurricanes deep inside their own 22.
Crusaders flanker Ethan Blackadder dived over from close range on the half hour mark, before captain Scott Barrett scored on the brink of halftime.
Barrett’s try, finished out wide, was arguably the pick of them, given the hosts strung double-digit phases together, manipulating the Hurricanes’ defence with their accuracy.
Nine years of Constellation Cup misery is finally over for the Silver Ferns.
New Zealand snapped their long drought yesterday in Christchurch, winning another cliffhanger against Australia 45-43 to take the series 3-1.
Australia went into the decider down 2-1 and needing to win by two goals to retain the silverware, but again faded in the second half after leading by five goals at the main break.
The Ferns hadn’t won the trophy since 2012 with veteran shooter Bailey Mes the only member of the current group to have won it – in her first year of international netball.
‘‘It’s a bit surreal at the moment. We all had teary eyes in the huddle. We haven’t been able to bring the Constellation Cup home in a long time so we’re so proud of ourselves,’’ shooter Maia Wilson told Sky Sport.
Spurred on by 2500 fans at Christchurch Arena with spectators allowed again under a return to level 1, the Ferns finished powerfully for the second game in a row.
In a pulsating final quarter, little separated the sides on the scoreboard with netball’s heavyweights trading blows.
With five minutes left, it was all level at 40-40 in another classic contest between the transTasman rivals.
The Diamonds took a five-goal lead into halftime (22-17), the same amount they led by in the third test and ended up losing by.
New Zealand 45 (Maia Wilson: 36/40, Ameliaranne Ekenasio: 9/12) Australia 43 (Cara Koenen: 15/19 Kiera Austin: 28/35) Q1: 6-12, HT: 17-22, 3Q: 30-31.
Australia started the second half positively, but the Ferns regained their flow on attack and began chipping into their deficit.
After being kept quiet in the first half, Wilson, who slotted 41 goals in game three, was starting to get into her work.
The Ferns were generating greater defensive ball too with Karin Burger replacing Sulu Fitzpatrick in the defensive end early in the third quarter. Gina Crampton also returned at wing attack having been benched earlier in the game.
A 12-6 burst to start the second half enabled the Ferns to hit the front at 29-28 for the first time since the opening minute.
The Constellation Cup hung in the balance approaching the last quarter with a Kiera Austin goal to close out the third quarter giving the Diamonds a slim 31-30 edge before New Zealand came roaring back with a composed final quarter to secure a longawaited win nine-years in the making.