Magic have plenty left (+video)

Coach warns opposition of big improvement

DONNA PAGET/Waikato Times

OUT OF THE WAY: Magic's Jodi Tod (with ball) collides with the Mystic's Temepara George during the Magic's 56-52 ANZ netball championship win at Rotorua. Magic coach Noeline Taurua has warned that her side, unbeaten in two matches, is still playing well below its best.

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Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic coach Noeline Taurua has sent out a big warning to the other sides in netball's transtasman tournament.

After the side's 56-52 win over the Northern Mystics at Rotorua's Energy Events Centre last night, Taurua said the team were still only playing at "60 or 70 per cent".

"You can take the negative, but I'm taking the positive, shoot, when we hit that 100 or even 80 or 90 it's going to be a good package."

Her side's speed around the court was meant to wear down the Mystics comparative size advantage, but it took until the final quarter for the Magic to assert any real dominance.

Both teams traded goals for much of the first spell, and it wasn't until the 14th minute when the home side, hot favourites with the TAB, took the lead by scoring the final five goals to enjoy a 16-12 advantage. That lead was the biggest of the first three spells as the Mystics started the second quarter with the same momentum they began the first with.

Worringly for the Magic, they started the first three quarters poorly in what turned out to be an arm wrestle of a match.

The home side pulled away, only for the Mystics to bounce back and that dance continued through most of the match, until the final minutes.

Without the burden of sickness hanging over her like last week, Irene van Dyk was strong in the circle against Vilimaina Davu and Leana de Bruin, but missed four shots from under the post her usual "gimme" spot.

Both van Dyk and player of the match Maria Tutaia shot brilliantly from wide in the circle, having been forced out there by the less than mobile, but still capable, and physical, Davu.

Tutaia was far stronger in general court play and with Amigene Metcalfe much slicker at wing attack, there wasn't the laborious movement of the ball up the court of last week.

Taurua however, was less than impressed with her side's performance, especially as they were back to full fitness. "I think we went down on last week. We should have built on what we had developed and knowing what the circumstances were surrounding that performance."

Neither Taurua nor Mystics coach Yvonne Willering used their bench which was surprising for such a defensive minded coach as Willering.

With Sheryl Scanlan at wing defence, de Bruin at goal defence and Davu at goal keep, the "big units" as Taurua labelled them, tired in the third spell as the nippy Metcalfe, Tutaia and van Dyk made them move.

With 90 seconds remaining and the Magic up by three, a wayward pass went out of court and the Mystics had their last chance. But Laura Langman intercepted the Davu inbound and her side was able to run the clock down.

Taurau said the win was unnecessarily hard.

"It's pretty tight in that defence end and a lot of things you want to do, don't necessarily happen. They're big units so they take up a lot of space and space you want to use."

The Magic join the Melbourne Vixens and Tactix on top of the table with two wins from two games after the Vixens beat the Queensland Firebirds 62-52 and the Tactix beat the New South Wales Swifts 50-44 in Christchurch this weekend.

The last two games of the round are played tonight between four first-round losers. The West Coast Fever host the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Central Pulse host the Southern Steel. 

Shooting stats: Magic - Irene van Dyk 31/38, 82 per cent, Maria Tutaia 25/31, 81 per cent. Mystics - Catherine Latu 29/34 85 per cent, Jade Topia 23/26 88 per cent.

Quarter scores: 16-12, 26-27, 45-41, 56-52.

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