I’ve just gone back to double check. The officials got it right, it was supposed to be a NZ centre pass to start the third quarter. The Diamonds had the last centre pass of the second period, where Dwyer missed a shot.

Assistant coach Nicole Richardson was spotted chatting with the umpires and bench before they started the third quarter because she believed it was Diamonds ball. But not sure why she got confused, because it was New Zealand’s fair and square.

Agree with you though that the Diamonds are in disarray. They were heavy favourites leading into this series and there hasn’t been a single player other than Jamie-Lee Price that I can think of that has really tried to fight their way back into the contest. They have looked like a different team these past three games. Seriously concerning. Not the way they’d like to finish 2024.

Seems there’s a bit of work to do to get this line-up ready for a Commonwealth Games and home World Cup without the likes of Steph Fretwell or Ash Brazill in the mix. Now those players have retired it seems Australia needs to find it’s way again. Particuarly in the shooting circle. And when a player like Kiera Austin has excelled all year in the Super Netball league, but now can’t execute for the Diamonds. We have to question what’s impacted her preparation?

We mentioned already that this is the third time the Silver Ferns have ever won the Constellation Cup, but they’ve never been able to win it on Australian soil until now. What an effort!

To be honest, statistics read very similar to the way they did at half-time. The Diamonds had way too many penalties 64 and as a result, stood out of play spectating the game rather than winning back the ball. The Silver Ferns did a wonderful job of keeping off the body and staying effective in defence.

However there is a huge difference here on the gain to goal rate. In the first 30 minutes, the Diamonds were converting 75 per cent of their defensive efforts and the Silver Ferns were at just 43 per cent. It’s almost the total opposite by the end of the 60 minutes. Showing how much ball the Aussies threw away towards the end and just how clinical the visitors were to finish.

The Diamonds accuracy slipped to 78 per cent as well. New Zealand remaind composed under the post to remain in the 90s percentile. Grace Nweke finishing as the highest scoring player on court with 47 goals.

Thanks for following along Natty! Nice to see a different storyline though, as the Silver Ferns get a rare chance to lift the trophy.

The wing defence forced the Australian captain to the bench for the second time in as many games. What an effort from Heffernan! One gain, three pick-ups. She contributed a lot in attack too! Tallying 20 centre pass recieves, five second-phase recieves, six feeds and five goal assists. That’s a huge workload for a player that can’t even enter her team’s goal third!

For just the third time in Constellation Cup history, the Silver Ferns have got their hands on the trophy. They’ve cleanswept the Diamonds 3-0 and locked in the result they were after with one more game still left to play.

Don’t forget this team dropped from second to third on the world rankings just last week. They lost to the England Roses 2-1 in the lead-up to this series. What a remarkable way to respond and show the world they deserve to be in the top two in the world. They may have missed the podium altogether at the recent Netball World Cup but there’s still fight in them yet.

SCORE: 61-43 New Zealand’s way

Nweke has been mentioned like a 100 times in this blog already, and rightly so! But she can’t star at goal shooter without a clinical goal attacker outfront. The Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio has gone about her business in this game with little fanfare. But her work to draw the defenders way out of the circle to create a one-on-one for Nweke with the Aussie goal keeper under the post has done wonders. She’s also put up the shots when Nweke has been double tagged and unable to get free. Brilliant accuracy and some beautiful cuts and drives in the goal third. Deserves her flowers too.

Diamonds captain Watson has been spotted on the bench. With the game looking pretty much out of reach, to say she looks deflated is an understatement. This loss is going to hurt the team big time.

With just under six minutes left in the game, there’s a fair bit of niggle creeping into the match. The Diamonds are frustrated and the Silver Ferns are not taking the foot on the pedal. Some of the pushing is getting picked up by the umpires.

SCORE: 54-40 New Zealand’s way

With just over 10 minutes left in the game, Marinkovich makes a desperate change, swapping Garbin for Cara Koenen. This is an important moment for Koenen, who was previously the Diamonds’ favoured starting goal shooter but has been overtaken by Garbin recently in that department. Here’s her opportunity to show Marinkovich she’s still got what it takes.

Sophie Garbin leaps into the air to take a feed high, before landing right on the baseline. The throw-in goes New Zealand’s way. The Diamonds are handing it right back to them!

Kelly Jackson has come flying out of the circle to intercept a pass Price intended for Dwyer. That was way too obvious from the Diamonds but credit where credit is due, Jackson read that beautifully. Her team reward her efforts and the kiwis hit the big five zero.

SCORE: 50-38 New Zealand’s way

A long feed sent in by Horjus almost went out of court, luckily Garbin has the skills to keep it in court, tapping it to her teammate in the pocket as she found her balance on the baseline. Aussies convert first in the final quarter. Is it time to bring the experience of a Watson back on court? Or do we persist with the fresher legs of Horjus?

SCORE: 46-35 New Zealand’s way

A huge third quarter for New Zealand has put them in the box seat to win this third Constellation Cup game. Don’t forget, if the Siver Ferns win here, they’ll win the trophy for just the third time in 14 series. They last held it in 2021.

In that 15-minute period they doubled the Diamonds score, 18-9. This is very unlike the Australian team. We’re expecting a fightback in this final quarter to come. What has Marinkovich got left up her sleeve?

Grace Nweke has just missed her first goal of the game with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. She’s gone almost 45 minutes without a blemish under the post. 34 goals secured for her team so far. That’s impressive!

The NSW Swifts must be licking their lips! As she’ll join their Super Netball ranks for season 2025.

The Diamonds have made a range of errors in this third quarter. Six turnovers in fact and the Silver Ferns are punishing that lacklustre play. Nweke nails five straight shots and the margin is blowing out heavily in the visitor’s favour. There’s five minutes left until the final break.

SCORE: 41-30 New Zealand’s way

The Aussies are getting a stern talking to in defence, particuarly Ellis and Price. Head coach Marinkovich decides it’s time for another switch-up and injects Sunday Aryang into WD with six and a half minutes left in the third quarter. Moving Price to centre to try and create that stronger defensive presence all the way up the court and trialling more of an offline style of defence against Poi.

The 22-year-old Kangaroo Island talent becomes Diamond #193 as she hit the court. The 46th South Australian to reprsent the country in netball. Let’s see how Georgie Horjus goes taking on that wing attack bib. Big shoes to fill as she replaces captain Watson in the midcourt.

Australia throw the ball over the baseline, but never fear, Rudi Ellis has maintained the GK bib entering the second-half and will not give up. Tussling with Nweke for space under the Silver Ferns post, she puts the shooter off the long, high feed meant for her in the circle and the ball – just like it did up Australia’s end – sails over the baseline. Throw-in for Ellis and this time the Diamonds convert.

SCORE: 31-27 New Zealand’s way

Kate Heffernan continues to disupt Liz Watson‘s plans. The pair had a couple of argy bargy moments in the second quarter, now Heffernan has frustrated the Diamonds wing attack and skipper once again as she flies high to steal the ball in the right-hand Australian pocket.

SCORE: 30-26 New Zealand’s way

Well, what an entertaining start to the 2024 Constellation Cup that was. Again, well done to New Zealand on pulling off such a big upset in the opening game and we look forward to seeing what they bring to the court in three days’ time in Auckland for Game 2.

The Kelpies and Net Blacks will also play Game 2 of the Trans-Tasman Cup on Wednesday. We’ll be live blogging both games, so make sure to check back on the ABC Sport page for more analysis.

Agree with you! I did watch the Taini Jamison series and the first game was certainly competitive, but the Silver Ferns seems to be humming along at another level now. Maybe playing these series back-to-back has helped them gain momentum? While the Aussies had a break after England flew to New Zealand. I do think though that the Silver Ferns were simply fired up after everyone discussing their bad form and drop in the World Rankings. It felt like they had a real point to prove!

Something we haven’t discussed yet is the presence of Briony Akle in the Silver Ferns camp. The two-time NSW Swifts premiership winning head coach was appointed as their assistant coach under Noeline Taurua for this Constellation Cup.

In the Super Netball environment she works with Sarah Klau and Paige Hadley on a daily basis. And Taurua spent a couple of weeks with the Swifts during the domestic season working as an assistant under Akle.

Without trying to claim New Zealand’s success tonight was due to an Australian, it would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during the Silver Ferns prep and what insights Akle had to share with the team! And how much did Noeline learn from her time spent in the Super Netball set-up?

Not much different in these stats, other than New Zealand getting more hand to ball defensively and Australia turning it over with six more turnovers.

Again, not a heap different here. It probably shows the level of intensity and competitiveness seen in this game. New Zealand were slick in attack, while the Diamonds made a range of mistakes – but for the most part, were still playing at an okay standard.

Well, she had a stellar game and Gordon thoroughly deserves her Player of the Match award in Game 1 of the Constellation Cup for her 29 feeds, 26 goal assists, one intercept, two pickups and eight second-phase receives. Did a mountain of work!

Oh wow, it turns out the Silver Ferns’ 64 goal tally marks their highest score over the Diamonds ever in regular time. Well done! They had plenty of critics leading into this series. Now it feels like the sky is the limit ahead of Game 2 in Auckland on Wednesday.

Thanks for following along Natty! It’s fair to say the kiwi side have made a statement after that bad news during the week, seeing them slip from second to third in the world rankings.

They were clearly fired up from the very first whistle!

If they can string a couple of victories together against the Diamonds in the Constellation Cup, they could  quickly move back up to second rank … Depending on the results in the upcoming England vs Jamaican series.

We didn’t expect that! Well done to the Silver Ferns. A wonderful team effort. What a way to start the series. The Diamonds hoodoo in the land of the long white cloud continues. They’ve now lost their past seven matches in New Zealand.

With just two minutes left in the game, Noeline Taurua has made her first substitution. Australian-born midcourter and former Netball Word Youth Cup player, Claire O’Brien takes the court for the very first time against her old teammates.

O’Brien never quite reached the Diamonds set-up during her time in the Australian program but she did play for both the Swifts and Giants in Super Netball before moving across the ditch to play in the New Zealand Premiership.

With two Māori parents, O’Brien was able to get her citizenship and be treated as a domestic player rather than an import. A few weeks ago, she debuted for the Silver Ferns against England. It’s a proud moment for her family.

Three minutes left in the game and Dwyer is called for an offensive contact as the Wellington crowd soaks up this win. Maybe Austin should have come back on after the Dwyer breaking call. Often a spell on the bench can do wonders for a player, showing them what they were doing wrong and where they can make an impact. Austin would probably revel in that challenge.

SCORE: 60-49 New Zealand’s way

Marinkovich has noticed time is ticking away and has swiftly made a switch in wing defence to bring Aryang on and Moloney off. Aryang is a player that likes to float off the body of her opponent, has great closing speed and likes to hunt the ball rather than the tight one on one defence Moloney offers.

Sophie Dwyer is called for breaking and Paige Hadley looks frustrated! She’s not long crept back on the court to return to her starting centre position. It’s not what the Diamonds are after entering the final seven minutes of this game.

Brilliant intercept from Kate Heffernan, she pinched it right from underneath Kate Moloney’s nose. Huge moment off the Australian centre pass.

Bruce and Nweke both leaped into the air to try and catch a high feed, but their arms got tangled. As Nweke got more hang time and took hold of the ball, she brought her arms down and connected with Bruce. But there was no malice. Bruce clutched at her forehead and the umpire called an offensive contact, gifting the Aussie goal keeper possession. But the replay looks as if Nweke didn’t connect with hard force or anywhere near the spot Bruce was clutching. Probably the wrong call.

No changes for either team heading into this fourth quarter. The Diamonds have done a good job at slowing down the Silver Ferns first centre pass. It took them almost a full minute to score.

Meanwhile, Maddy Gordon is clutching at her chin after Kate Moloney accidentally clipped her on the face as she contested the ball on the edge of the circle.

SCORE: 48-40 New Zealand’s way

The Silver Ferns have led at every break of this game and take a seven-goal lead into three-quarter time. Every New Zealand player has been immense, while it feels like the Diamonds are a bit shook. They just can’t get their line-up right. The Australians won that quarter, 15-13 but they’re going to need a bigger fight in these last 15 minutes.

Sarah Klau is injected with two and a half minutes left in this third quarter. Is it too late though? The Diamonds were up by three for the quarter before New Zealand fought back to level it and take us back to the nine-goal margin we saw at half-time.

Klau is also donning the GD bib, when her impact could really be felt at goal keeper. There must be a reason Marinkovich is persisting with Bruce. Perhaps fast tracking her return to fitness and testing her ability to work herself into the game.

Dwyer was happy to send the ball in from long range, but the shot was a little offline and came off the rim. Koenen had to get up nice and high and over the top of the New Zealand defenders in order to pluck that ball out of the air. She finishes the job with another goal.

SCORE 43-37 New Zealand’s way

Nweke popped out of the circle and as she tried to get back near the post, she knocked Weston over. The umpire spotted it straight away and Australia were quick to capitalise on the opportunity. Dwyer converts their next centre pass to make it two in a row.

SCORE: 42-36 New Zealand’s way

Australia edge one back through Dwyer as Ekenasio is called for breaking on a Silver Ferns centre pass. Now the Diamonds are leading this quarter by one goal.

SCORE: 41-32 New Zealand’s way