Proteas learn hard lessons from Aussie Diamonds sweep – Van Dyk

Proteas netball coach Jenny van Dyk feels that the Test series against the Australia Diamonds has been an eye-opener, exposing areas they will have to work hard on if they are to challenge the best in the sport.

The world’s top-ranked netball team claimed a 3-0 series sweep, culminating in a commanding 65-42 victory over South Africa in Adelaide, Australia, on Sunday.

“One thing I can say is that the Aussie Test series was twice as hard as the New Zealand Test series,” Van Dyk admitted of the back-to-back series, where the Proteas failed to pick up a win, despite coming close in the final match against the Silver Ferns.

South Africa started strong in the final match of the tour and kept the Aussies on the back foot in the first quarter, but the world champions pulled away in the last three minutes, scoring seven unanswered goals to take the quarter 20-11.

The Proteas began the second quarter with intensity, using their speed to their advantage and taking the game to Australia. Van Dyk made two tactical changes mid-quarter with the introduction of Owethu Ngubane for Kamogelo Masego, while Juanita van Tonder made her debut, replacing goalkeeper Nicola Smith.

Australia led 39-20 at half-time. Van Dyk made further changes at the start of the championship quarter, bringing Rolene Streutker and Refiloe Nketsa onto the court. The Proteas held their own in the quarter, outscoring Australia 12-10, but still trailed 49-32 going into the final 15 minutes.

The Proteas put up a fight in the last quarter, but a dominant and physical Aussie Diamonds side outscored them 16-10 to seal the match.

“I believe there were moments where we were right on point and doing a great job, on attack specifically, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Van Dyk said, in her candid post-match analysis.

“We are eager to get back home and really work on areas for improvement, because a lot of the issues we experienced on court don’t have a quick fix. It’s something that we need to drill into our players and make sure the execution becomes better.

“I think we learnt a lot about our players, what kinds of situations they can handle and what players fit what type of styles. And now it’s our job to use the information we have to get our team ready and better for the next challenge, with the knowledge of exactly where we are, and more importantly, how we perform under tremendous pressure on that court.”

The matches form a key part of the Proteas’ preparations for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 2027 World Cup in Australia.