Western Cape want to defend netball title

Annelie LucasWestern Cape (Head Coach) says her side will need to be more clinical in their passing game if they want to stand a chance of defending their Netball Championshiop title: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Annelie LucasWestern Cape (Head Coach) says her side will need to be more clinical in their passing game if they want to stand a chance of defending their Netball Championshiop title: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Published Aug 12, 2017

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DURBAN – Western Cape coach Annelie Lucas says her side will need to more clinical in their passing game, if they are to stand a chance of defending their Spar Netball National Championships title against Gauteng this afternoon.

The Cape side lost 66-64 in their last game of Section A against Gauteng on Thursday, confirming that the sides will meet in today’s final at Hoy Park in Durban.

Lucas described that encounter as a dress-rehearsal for today match, and believes that defeat revealed to her on what areas she needed to work on in order to defend their title.

“We struggled with the ball placement in our game against Gauteng,” Lucas said. “That was our main challenge. We did play some excellent netball but we were a bit sloppy at times with our passing.

“It was more or less the same thing as what happened leading up to last year’s final against the Free State,” Lucas added. 

“We played Free State in our last game before we met again in the final. The only difference is that we won both of those matches while this year, we lost against Gauteng leading up to the final day. With that said, I have every confidence in my girls.”

Lucas, however, also admitted that her side will really need to work hard for the win, as Gauteng are particularly hungry going into the final, after having last won this tournament way back in 2014.

“Gauteng are a side which likes to play the hunting game, always capitalising on the loose balls in game situations,” Lucas said. 

“They couldn’t do much of that during their encounter against us because we slowed them down a bit. And I truly believe if we can just tidy up a bit on our throws and ball placement, then we’ll be fine.”

@Mohau_Ra

Saturday Star

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