Crinums tame Jaguars in repeat of last year’s Telkom Netball League final

Defending Telkom Netball League (TNL) champions the Free State Crinums outclassed traditional rivals the Gauteng Jaguars at the Sun City Superbowl in a repeat of last season's final.

The comprehensive 59-37 victory was a third dominant win in the first round of the tournament in Rustenburg, North West, for the defending champs. None of their rivals have been able to live with their intensity and execution on court, and it was no different against the Jaguars.

The Crinums put their foot on the pedal from the first centre pass and refused to let up. They were firmly in control, leading 46-25 by the end of the third quarter. They refused to rest on the lead, the 22-point margin was by no means flattering.

As is usually the case, skipper Refiloe Nketsa, the Proteas star, was at the heart of all that was good about the Crinums' play at centre. In fact, they outplayed the Jaguars in all areas of the court.

Goalkeeper Reratilwe Letsoalo was immense on the defensive end, refusing to give the opposition attackers an inch in the circle. She was named Player of the Match for her outstanding play that included crucial steals and intercepts.

"I think we put our foot on the pedal from the first centre pass to the last one. And we told ourselves even if we get ahead, not to get comfortable, but we  play until the last whistle," she said in a post-match interview.

"I think that mindset of going until the last whistle is what carried us through the match."

Crinums coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm said: "I'm so proud of my team.

"We played consistently and stuck to our game plan. Being defending champions is a privilege, not a pressure. Every team wants to be the best against us, and that's exciting."

Jaguars coach Rozanne Matthyse admitted it was a difficult game for her team. They were strangely disjointed, struggling to string together passages of play and to execute. The champions' mid-court dominance also played a huge part in this.

The result left the giants searching for their first win of TNL 2025 after they lost their opener against the high-riding Flames.

"I'm confident in my team; we know how to bounce back," Mathysse said.

"We've been in tough situations before, like in 2023 when we came back strong after losing crucial games. We still have work to do; we're not at our best, making silly mistakes and not playing solid netball."

To their credit, the Jaguars did show that ability to bounce back in their next game, against the SA Under-21 team on Tuesday morning. Their earlier failings were on display as they fell behind early in the match. But they managed to click in the third quarter and eventually secured a 55-51 win over the Baby Proteas.

"We needed this win for our confidence, and settling combinations is important for me, and I think we did that. We take the win. Then again, there's still a lot of things that we need to work on," a visibly relieved Mathysse said in her post-match interview. 

The Jaguars had the chance to build some momentum with their later match against the Eagles part of a double header for the Gauteng team on the day.

The North West Flames, who were among the early front runners at home, were held 57-57 by the Southern Stings in another nail-biting encounter. There was drama in the last few seconds with the Stings scoring a long-range shot to draw level.