It’s been much anticipated, and the first week of netball at the Commonwealth Games hasn’t disappointed.
We’ve seen 34 gripping matches where bodies have been put on the line, every emotion laid out on the court and never-before-seen results.
To top it all off, the Roses have been at the helm of pool B, winning all five of their opening games, netting a total of 342 goals.
England have shown grit, determination and resilience during the Games – with an array of winning combinations across the court.
The Roses began their campaign with a bang when they beat Scotland 74-28 a week ago today.
Next they took on Malawi in a hard-fought match, which eventually saw them secure the victory 74-49.
However it was their third game against Uganda which provided their toughest competition at that point.
The highly competitive 60-minutes saw the Roses win 55-49 after a tenacious performance.
In the match against Wales, the Roses recorded their highest victory of the Games so far with 85 goals to 31 and every player taking to the court.
But their fifth match against New Zealand was by far their toughest of the preliminary rounds – it saw them go goal-for-goal during the first half.
But after capitalizing on turn-overs, the Roses secured an impressive and historic victory against the Silver Ferns – never having beaten the world number two’s at a Commonwealth Games before.
Head Coach Tracey Neville spoke about the difference star defender Geva Mentor has made: ‘Geva’s so experienced – it’s brilliant to have her at the back – she comes through when we need her.
‘I always joke, she’s not retiring until she gets a gold medal.
‘You talk about people starting to dip at the end of their career, she’s just got better and better, she’s like a fine wine.
‘She’s such a great person to have around on the team as well.’
Meanwhile Geva Mentor spoke after the hard-fought match against New Zealand: ‘We mean business and we want to achieve it and go all the way into that gold medal final – we’ve got to beat every team.
‘We have that experience now with the number of girls that are playing out in Australia.
‘We’re collectively able to pull together as a team.
‘It’s exciting netball – exciting for the crowd and for us as a team to be able to hold off when we know New Zealand are coming back at us – it’s character building.’
England will take on Jamaica in the semi-final on Saturday 14th April (6am BST).
