GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: England celebrate victory in the Netball Gold Medal Match on day 11 of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on April 15, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
The date is 15 April 2018 and summer anthem One Kiss by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa has just been released.
Cinemagoers are eagerly anticipating Avengers: Infinity War coming out and Manchester City win their third Premier League title.
If you asked English netball fans though, all these moments pale in comparison to an event the sport will never forget…
On this day two years ago, the Vitality Roses won the Commonwealth Games and wrote their names into the nation’s sporting history for the third time in three games.
After coming through their opening four Pool B fixtures unscathed (England 74-28 Scotland, Malawi 49-74 England, England 55-49 Uganda and England 85-31 Wales), the stage was set for a group decider against New Zealand.
And the Vitality Roses proved their big-game credentials, beating the Silver Ferns for the first time in Commonwealth Games history.
The semi-final against Jamaica had everything: an unbelievable comeback, extraordinary intensity, and a last-minute goal that secured victory and guaranteed England’s best-ever finish in the competition.
🗓️ #OnThisDay in 2018…
The Vitality Roses reach their first Commonwealth Games final after beating Jamaica 56-55 💪
📽️: BBC and Commonwealth Games Federation pic.twitter.com/aa9wtplB1m
— England Netball 🌹 (@EnglandNetball) April 14, 2020
For the first time since netball was introduced at the 1998 Games, the final didn’t feature both Australia and New Zealand – but just making the final wasn’t enough for England.
In the changing room before facing Australia, captain Ama Agbeze gave each player a piece of paper and one by one asked them to put their bits of paper up on the wall.
It spelt out two questions – ‘If not now, when? If not you, who?’ – through which Agbeze wanted to emphasise some key messages: “It’s our time. We’re ready. We’re completely together – It’s us. It’s now.”
Despite not having beaten the Diamonds since 2013, England took to the court at their very first Commonwealth Games final with the belief that they could overcome the three-time champions.
While a 4am alarm would usually be met by groans and hitting snooze, fans the length and breadth of the country were suddenly early birds glued to their TV screens.
Tracey Neville’s side managed what no other team at the tournament to date had successfully done in breaking down the fluid play of the Diamonds and preventing them from working the ball down to their own shooting circle.
With nothing to separate the two sides at half-time (25-25), the tension was palpable.
The Vitality Roses had recovered from a six-goal deficit against Jamaica and, having trailed by two at the end of the third quarter, they fell four behind early on in the final 15 minutes.
But their mental resilience shone through as they came back and with the scores at 51-51 with just 20 seconds remaining, the final centre pass of the game was in England’s hands.
Jo Harten, the Vitality Roses’ hero in the semi-final win, failed to sink a rushed attempt at goal with the clock down to five and it looked like the final was heading to extra time.
But a last-second penalty shot, netted by Helen Housby, saw England stun home favourites Australia to take a 51-52 win and make history all over again by becoming Commonwealth Games champions.
Cue a pile on, an outpouring of love on social media and carrying BBC Breakfast’s Mike Bushell into the sea.
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