Proteas assistant coach Dumisani Chauke admits the loss of record-breaking goal shooter Lenize Potgieter “is a big blow” to the team’s Netball World Cup chances, but they do have capable replacements.
The Proteas returned to winning ways after the defeat to Jamaica in the absence of Potgieter, who was replaced in the squad by Sesandile Owethu-Ngubane, with a hard-fought 69-28 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in their first Stage 2 match.
Owethu-Ngubane had to wait for her chance until midway through the fourth quarter though with the Proteas opting for Ina-Marie Venter and young Nichole Taljaard upfront in the first half.
Venter started the Netball World Cup in fine form by winning the Most Valuable Player award in the Proteas’ opening game against Wales where she shot 91% from 47 attempts.
However, the Proteas have opted to rotate their forwards since then with young Elmeré van der Berg starting against Sri Lanka and then Potgieter against Jamaica with Venter only introduced later in those matches.
It seems to have dented Venter’s confidence with the Australian-based goal shooter enduring a rare off day against Trinidad as she completed just 75.9% of her shots on Monday evening.
It may not have been pivotal to the result against the Calypso Girls, but Venter will need to be at her best when the Proteas face New Zealand on Wednesday in a crunch Stage 2 clash that could ultimately decide their Netball World Cup fate.
“She’s (Potgieter) been a prominent member of the team, been quite a strong anchor as well, it is quite a blow, however, we do have girls who are capable of carrying on with the job," Chauke said.
“There are quite a few players that we know should there be an injury they can fill in a slot quite nicely. Losing Lenize is something big for the team.”
The Silver Ferns also suffered a severe injury blow on Wednesday after their sharp-shooter Grace Nweke was ruled out of the rest of the tournament.
Nweke injured her knee in the Silver Ferns’ final pool match against Singapore on Sunday with Tiana Metuarau called up as her replacement.
The Silver Ferns, however, showed they remain a menacing threat even without Nweke as they completed a 83-34 rout of Wales in the earlier Pool F clash.
Jamaica also beat Uganda 61-49 to maintain their 100% record at the Netball World Cup.
New Zealand and Jamaica top Pool F with six points - four points carried over from Stage 1 - with South Africa in third position on four points. Only the top two teams qualify for the semi-finals.
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