JOHANNESBURG – The Netball Quad Series ended on a disappointing note for South Africa, who went down 52-47 to the England Roses at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena on Sunday.
After trailing by as many as 12 goals at one stage, the Proteas fought back bravely in the final quarter, but were unable to close the gap.
SA coach Norma Plummer was left frustrated following the defeat.
“It’s the mistakes after great turnovers that cost us the game,” said Plummer.
“The damage was done in the second quarter. The players have to learn to hang on in those crunch situations.”
Captain Bongiwe Msomi said the team had failed to capitalise on their possession.
“We know where we went wrong, and we have to fix that,” she said.
“But we’ve had good results against the top three countries in the world, and we feel prepared to take on anyone at the Commonwealth Games”.
Thank You for the contest @EnglandNetball and being part of our world for a while! Safe journey back home, look forward to seeing you all again @GC2018! #NetballFamily #QuadSeries #SPARProteas #WeAreRoses #WeAreAllIn #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/jE55cJDKSg
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) January 28, 2018
England coach Tracey Neville was delighted with her team’s performance. The victory secured them second place in the Quad Series.
“We feel that we are on our way, and we are determined to win the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“South Africa have improved tremendously over the past six months, and they are always a tough team to play.
“The South African crowd was a new experience for us. There was a great vibe and they brought joy to the game.”
Earlier, the Australian Diamonds coasted to a 67-48 victory over the New Zealand Silver Ferns.