Sunday 18th Getting closer , getting hungry , getting fiesty . .

Before anyone is concerned that the title of this blog is showing an early indication of the tour going to pieces can I reassure you that the comment is referring to the Netball. The three sides are now, three games into the tour, beginning to see what it takes to beat these guys. We are on a steep learning curve and we have to get closer, get hungier, get feistier – all in the best possible taste of course.

Anyway the day started with a late reveille, a peaceful breakfast and a morning stroll through a rose garden. JMS still coming to terms with why in the restaurant of some 30 empty tables with varied settings of 2 , 3 and 6, one large lady with a newspaper HAD to sit at his table !! Where was FW and CMD when you want them the most?

STEEEEEVE arrived on time – group photo shoot splendid in Netball dresses. I especially liked the ‘angry stare’ shot. FW is stitches with JMS pose - she’s obviously not seen Steve McQueen. In fact STEEEEVE had arrived too early and we got to Auckland GG too early with the gates still locked. So he took us off for a drive over the hills and far away ( Sharpe quote ). Indeed we went over the bridge we’d sailed under the day previous. The beeches that we saw from the coast were lovely and white. The marinas were enormous. 1 in 4 in Auckland own a boat !! Our prompt whistle stop tour over, we headed back to the locked gate No.4 and waited for the keys. Initial indications were that we were to face a Maori side – small / compact and built like tanks. This was going to be an entirely different kettle of fish to anything we had encountered so far.

Game ON . . . a long wait and long warm up later . . . the Sopwiths with the injection of experience provided by Katie Reynolds started slowly . . no very slowly . . the score was 10 – 0 before we’d even got the ball to Anne-Marie. This was all put aside however when Anne-Marie scored and the cheers were, if nothing else uplifting. In retrospect the game at the end of the first quarter was over – 1 – 17 and all that was left to play for was RGS pride. Too many passes were either going astray or intercepted – the dodging in Australia that was so prevalent had all but gone – yes the court was wet but . . . the team rallied but to little avail and in the end were glad to get off the court in one piece, losing 8 – 50.

At the same time as that was going on, the Spitfires were have a real dogfight of their own, with Becci and Ella providing some extra fire power from the second team. End of the first quarter and it was nip ‘n tuck 6 – 7 . The pace intensified as the game progressed and we began to see signs of the RGS side at its best. There were glimpses of pure brilliance from Naomi and even more intellectual thought from Fran. Holly was her usual bustling self – not bad really when she’s suffering with feet problems! The second quarter went to Auckland but RGS returned in the third and final quarters again putting pressure on the opponents. Although the score 18 – 28 was another defeat - the girls came off the court in a far better frame of mind. There was a real positive sense to their attitude and play that because of the acclimatisation period to the Southern Hemisphere we had not seen before.

After the excitement of the Spitfires, the Hurricanes took to the court and again met the Maori challenge head on. It was clear by the end of the first quarter that if we played with anything less than 100% we were going to be taken to the cleaners. Ella and Lauren were in a real tussle and did their very very best not to be fazed by the pace and sheer physicality of their opponents. The second quarter was closer than the first and several of our first team heard at the interval, the Auckland coach describe our team as a pack of mongrels !! Compliment or what ? Got to be a compliment – we might be scrappy but hey a mongrel in a tight corner is where I would NOT want to be !! Hannah had her WA in tears, Georgia was running on maximum and the short crisp passes were getting to Auckland – they just couldn’t handle it. Whilst the game was always in Auckland’s favour, the team just wouldn’t lie down and we were still getting our fair share of possession and goals. In the end the score of 15 – 25 was the best the Hurricanes have achieved so far on tour.

Return to hotel – quick shower and change into formal gear for the meal of a lifetime. STEEEVE picked us up and within 5 minutes we were under the Sky Tower, looking up at the monster piece of concrete. Arriving slightly ahead of schedule we stopped off at the observation deck and looked over Auckland with clear crystal skies. Some of the girls did not appreciate the ‘holes’ in the lift as it ascended – you could see out as it was going up! Buffet meal was A*1 . . eat as much as you can and it was all top class. Mainly seafood – oysters / scallops / crab / sole / salmon / muscles to name but 6 . . all were sampled by the brave !! The puddings were also first rate and several of the girls must have eaten my share as I just had no room left. A visit to the shop was also welcomed and Jess again bought a badge for her bag – nice idea. Back to the hotel and bed . . .