New stars shine for victorious Magic

Despite missing Casey Kopua, the young team started their campaign with a bang, Aaron Goile reports.

No Casey Kopua, no worries for the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.

With the talismanic skipper recovering from a serious knee injury, the Magic looked like doing it tough in at least the early part of this year’s TransTasman Netball League.

Beginning with a trip to Adelaide to face the Thunderbirds looked a tricky prospect, considering New Zealand sides’ woeful record across the ditch. However, the Magic proved once again why they are the exception to that rule, with a 45-44 victory on Saturday that will give them an immediate injection of confidence.

There were calm heads and a methodical approach on court, drilled in by second-year coach Julie Fitzgerald.

With a completely new-look team last season the Magic defied the odds by making it to the playoffs, and from the early evidence there is a real sense that they are going to be a tough nut to crack again this time.

While Fitzgerald said she was not getting over-excited about a round-one win, she was ‘‘very pleased’’.

‘‘We never dwell on being across the Tasman, I think it doesn’t really matter where you play, so we never ever worry too much about that,’’ she said. ‘‘But it is always satisfying to win your first game, and particularly against such quality opposition and in such tough circumstances.

‘‘[It] always gives you a bit of impetus, and it gives you a bit of confidence to know that you can get the job done, and particularly when you’ve had to do it under such pressure.’’

In what was a low-scoring match with the defensive ends holding sway, the visitors fell four goals behind during the second quarter but transformed that into a six-goal lead in the final period, before holding out a late Thunderbirds rally.

The Magic have now beaten the

Malia Paseka caught the eye for New Zealand in last year’s Fast 5 world series and took her chances for the Magic in Adelaide on Saturday. Thunderbirds eight times out of 12, with three of the past four contests won by the Magic by a solitary goal.

Fitzgerald was happy with her side’s low turnover rate, considering the pressure that was being applied, and the composure of the young players on court, as well as the steadying influence of the more senior members.

Many of the victory plaudits should fall the way of Malia Paseka, who was tremendous after replacing Ellen Halpenny at goal attack at halftime. Halpenny (6/13) struggled to have her usual impact but Paseka’s introduction saw some testing goal attempts landed, and she finished with 14/18 and became the dominant force, with Jo Harten (25/34) also not up to her usual high standards.

‘‘We were really struggling for goals down there and Malia came on and sank

AT A GLANCE

a few vital ones for us to get us the lead,’’ Fitzgerald said.

‘‘And I was happy for her because she played with the maturity and confidence that we’ve been looking for.’’

The Magic put up 65 attempts to the 57 from the Thunderbirds’ Carla Borrego and Erin Bell.

Paseka, 20, is in her second year at the Magic after one season at the Northern Mystics, and while she has had to bide her time on the bench, she has already been part of the national Fast5 squad and been a training partner with the Silver Ferns. Her performance will give Fitzgerald a nice selection headache.

The other area of intrigue was at the back, with Kristiana Manu’a given a debut at goal keep, and captain Leana de Bruin pushing forward to goal defence. Fitzgerald has watched Manu’a for many years in Australia and plumped for the 19-year-old ahead of the more experienced Jo Trip in what was a ‘‘lineball decision’’, though Fitzgerald noted they would tinker their defensive combinations to match who they were playing.

Manu’a looked the part and read the play well, linking nicely with de Bruin.

‘‘She did deliver and I was really happy for her,’’ Fitzgerald said.

‘‘To be able to produce a game like that in her first game at this level of competition will give her great confidence, and she can only improve, and the combination down there can only improve.’’

Fitzgerald said a key focus this week would be ensuring there are multiple options on attack, as the Magic work towards a round-two contest against the NSW Swifts at Mt Maunganui next Monday night.

They will be hopeful centre Courtney Tairi will be fit for the contest, after she was assisted off the court in the final quarter with a lower leg injury.

Fitzgerald said Tairi would be assessed by a doctor today.

aaron.goile@fairfaxmedia.co.nz