Waikato/BOP Magic wins don't do any favours

JOHN HAWKINS/Southland Times

PRE-SEASON MAGIC: Irene Van Dyk shoots as Joh Tukaki defends in a Magic v Waikato Selection men's team match at Te Awamutu.

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The Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic netball side cruised to two easy wins last night in Te Awamutu.

But being hardly pushed, it was hard to judge just how ready the Magic are for the ANZ Championship which starts for them in three weeks.

The 53-42 win over a Waikato men's side and the 87-19 thrashing of the Samoan national side showed the Magic were fit – they played both full-length games with just a 15-minute break between them – and a number of other positives, but only for one quarter of the eight were the two-times semifinalists pushed.

Against the physical and quick men's side the Magic used their speed of pass to get around the men and showed the difference in experience as they looked so much smoother.

Coach Noeline Taurua mixed her side up with all 12 squad members getting game time. Import Peta Scholz looked even better than she did in the World 7 last year, a trimmer Jodi Brown looked happier and was already impressing in a Magic bib and new players Amy Christophers, Kahurangi Waititi and Tanya Lund did enough to prove themselves as valuable acquisitions.

The coach was pleased enough with the side's efforts, but said consistency was missing. "It was okay, we did some things very well, but couldn't put it all together," Taurua said.

"For example, we would turn over the ball, bring it down well then miss the shot. It's getting there."

But Taurua continues to mix and match her side – a move that could haunt them having opted for a shortened pre-season – when they should be working on cementing their No1 combination, not making sure they have plenty of options.

Silver Fern captain Casey Williams spent time at goal defence as well as her usual goal keep position and import Peta Scholz spent as much time at centre as she did at wing defence.

The Magic had a tendency to throw a lot of long balls to goal shoot Irene van Dyk, but that's not always as easy in the tougher trans-Tasman competition 1 but it looked good and it was far more accurate than it was last year

The Magic looked good for a first hit out of the season and beat both sides comfortably as expected.

The Samoan side play Waikato's Lois Muir team at the Te Awamutu Events Centre at 12.30pm today after they play the Bay of Plenty Lois Muir side at 10.30am.

Game 1: Magic 53 Waikato Men 42. Quarter scores: 15-11, 30-14, 41-33, 53-42.

Game 2: Magic 87 Samoa 19. Quarter scores: 20-4, 41-7, 61-12, 87-19

- © Fairfax NZ News