Constellation Cup live: Australia vs New Zealand game three

Grenvold is up and about. She gets a touch on a ball meant for Nweke and the ball rolls forward to the circle edge, but New Zealand is able to pick it up and put the ball throw the net.

SCORE: Australia lead 20-18

New Zealand are called for a held ball in their goal third, trying to feed Nweke and although Australia transition all the way up the court, the Aussie captain overcooks the feed to her shooters. Ball goes over the back line, it’s a throw in for the opposition and the Silver Ferns finish what they started.

SCORE: Australia leads 16-14

Early in the second quarter, Garbin took the ball on the baseline and had a split stance. But Jackson landed in between her legs and forced her back foot over the line. Throw-in New Zealand. They edge one back on the scoreboard.

Jackson has been so dominant throughout this series and the Kiwi goal keeper gets her first gain for game three.

SCORE: Australia leads 15-11

The Diamonds win the ball back in New Zealand’s goal third and Parmenter sets up Garbin with a massive ball sent into the circle from the middle third.

SCORE: Australia leads 14-9

Three games into her international career and Jessie Grenvold gets a big cheer! Clean ball, fair and square that Australia manages to convert.

SCORE: Australia leads 11-8

This last-minute shooting combo is flourishing! Dwyer misses a shot and Garbin chases the rebound and slots it through the hoop. They’re backing each other up and protecting the ball, setting screens nicely.

SCORE: Australia lead 10-8

The team has lifted! They hold up the Silver Ferns for close to 10 passes in the midcourt on their next centre pass. Then Nweke misses a shot, Parmenter chases after it and taps it back into Grenvold as she falls out of court. The attackers reward their efforts and the Diamonds hit the lead throu.

SCORE: Australia lead 5-4

With the next centre pass Australia level the scoreboard.

SCORE: Tied 4-all

Georgia Heffernan misses a shot at goal and the Diamonds get the throw-in. A huge cheer inside the arena spurs them down the court in transition. They edge one back.

SCORE: New Zealand lead 4-3

Oh no. You know those wonderful changes to the line-up we spoke about? With players returning to their favoured positions? That’s been thrown out with the first centre pass. Moloney came off the court with a busted hand. It appears her stitches may have re-opened.

As a result, Watson shifts to centre, Horjus to wing attack and Sophie Dwyer comes off the bench to grabs the goal attack bib.

This can be true Phil! But the biggest issue for the Diamonds were the offensive penalties called against their goal shooters in the final quarter. There was at least five called against Donnell Wallam, Kiera Austin and Sophie Garbin as they tried to push off the body of Kelly Jackson and get free. It lead to a lot of turnover.

Speaking on Friday in Sydney, Marinkovich told ABC Sport reporter Amanda Shalala that the biggest lesson the team has taken from the opening matches is to get the start of the match right.

“For us, we’ve really got to be able to take the first five minutes of the quarters,” she said.

“I think they’ve got little jumps on us in those moments. We’ve got to really solidify ball that we do get and make sure that we do put it on the scoreboard to pass some of that pressure back to New Zealand.”

Australia has been heavily penalised throughout the series and Stacey Marinkovich said her team would be looking for clarification from the umpires as to why that is.

New Zealand has conceded 100 penalties so far, while the Diamonds have conceded 145. That’s a lot of time standing beside your player, unable to contribute to play.

The same two umpires will officiate all four games of the series: Gary Burgess (English) and Alison Harrison (Welsh).

But Marinkovich told the media that she felt the Diamonds were umpired differently on home soil. Whether the coach agrees or not, they definitely need to be more disciplined today.

“In history, for the last four years, we’ve been penalised in New Zealand and it kind of shifts when we’re in Australia … But I don’t think our game plan changes too differently.”

You can read more about that in our analysis below.

AUSTRALIA

Australia has two players out with Jamie-Lee Price nursing a calf injury and Matilda Garrett scratched from the game with concussion so this 12 is literally the only 12 players left in their Constellation Cup squad.

One of the Diamonds’ strengths is the squad’s depth, so that’s taken a hit. As has its confidence. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare without this pair.

Thankfully there is some good news and that is that Kate Moloney is back fighting fight after suffering a nasty finger laceration at training. She missed the first outing but was stitched up and appeared on Wednesday night.

“The finger is fine. I had a few more stitches put in after the game, but the finger is good to go,” Moloney told the ABC.

NEW ZEALAND

Head coach Noeline Taurua has made a single change to her team for game three and it’s caught us by surprise.

In Auckland, Kimiora Poi started the match in WA and put on a solid performance.

She was replaced in the team by Peta Toeava for the Christchurch game, who went from outside the side into the starting line-up, taking hold of that WA bib.

She was phenomenal and really hard to shut down. Now there’s been a direct swap again. Poi in for Toeava.

Keeping us on our toes! Both offer such different styles of wing attack. Maybe this is their trial for the sport for next year’s World Cup?

If you missed Wednesday night’s game in Christchurch where the Diamonds suffered a heavy defeat to the Silver Ferns 62-50 you can find our blog from game two here.