Commanding win for Magic
Kia Magic stunned the NSW Swifts with a commanding 61-35 win at ASB Baypark Arena in Tauranga on Sunday.
In a complete performance with captain Laura Langman leading from the front, Kia Magic introduced a variety of combinations, each slotting in seamlessly as the defending champions dominated throughout.
The match statistics told the story, the Swifts frustration evident as they clocked up a heavy penalty count, 88 to Kia Magic’s 38 while the home team enjoyed 70 attempts at goal to the visitors’ 48.
Kia Magic opted for a relatively inexperienced attack line with Jess Waitapu filling the goal attack role and Jess Tuki, wing attack. For the Swifts, Amorette Wild picked up the goal attack bib ahead of last week’s starter Carla Dziwoki.
With both teams coming off big first round wins, a tight tussle was expected but it was Kia Magic who picked up where they left off, in contrast, the visitors getting away to a stuttering start.
Controlled and measured, Kia Magic made no race of the opening exchanges, the slightly built Waitapu and the lofty Tuki slotting in like veterans as the home team pushed the ball forward with confidence and accuracy. Building on a five-goal buffer, Kia Magic went on the rampage, scoring almost at will as a stunned Swifts struggled for answers.
Kia Magic’s imposing defensive trio lifted their efforts from the previous week to leave the Swifts struggling under the hoop, the combined efforts of Elias Shadrock, Casey Kopua and Leana de Bruin helping their team forge an impressive 18-5 first quarter advantage.
There were few surprises when the Swifts were forced to make sweeping changes on the resumption with four personnel or positional changes. The switch of Susan Pratley to goal attack and the introduction of Dziwoki at goal shoot gave the visitors more impetus on attack as they made an improved contribution in the second stanza.
However, the visitors continued to be stymied by a heavy penalty count, especially at the defence end while Kia Magic’s control and pressure paid dividends.
Tuki proved a revelation at wing attack with her variety of feeding while the diminutive Waitapu made an outstanding contribution as Kia Magic wheeled into the main break with a 32-18 lead.
With the introduction of Ellen Halpenny and Khao Watts at goal attack and wing attack, respectively, Kia Magic lost some of their earlier flow, the Swifts doing a solid job at slowing them down during the third stanza.
But there was no let-up at the other end, Kopua and de Bruin providing a destructive defensive wall as the Swifts shooters continued to struggle, the pair picking up plenty of intercept and rebound ball.
Swifts captain Kim Green put in a huge workload as she laboured industriously to lift her team but again it was Kia Magic who held the edge when they headed into the run home with a 45-27 lead as the new combinations found their groove.
In a big personal moment, the league’s youngest player Jamie-Lee Price, daughter of former Australian rugby league representative Steve, made her trans-Tasman debut in the final quarter. The Mt Albert Grammar School pupil slotted in at wing defence with ease as Kia Magic rolled relentlessly on.
