Taurua Hopes Lightning Can Upset Giants’ ‘Massive Swagger’

Lightning coach Noeline Taurua says it’s been difficult to predict which version of her team will show up each week this season: the one that went all the way in 2017, or the one that gets blown away in one quarter of netball.

In Round 2 it was a 9-20 second quarter against the Queensland Firebirds that cost them, with the final margin just three goals.

Then, after dominating for three quarters to lead by eight goals against the Magpies in Round 4, the Lightning switched off in the last and were forced to withstand a furious Collingwood fightback before hanging on by two.

And they never recovered after being pummelled 9-19 in the first quarter against the NSW Swifts last weekend, eventually losing by three goals.

But there was also the impressive win against the Melbourne Vixens, who have since gone on to knock off the West Coast Fever, while none of the Lightning’s four losses have been by more than three goals.

Currently in sixth place on the ladder but only two points outside the top four, Taurua admits they might have overcooked their players with a long preseason and Commonwealth Games commitments, while also hinting that some players need to improve their matchday preparation.

Taurua is still lamenting last weekend’s diabolical first quarter against the Swifts, but says to lose by only three goals shows that their best netball is still as good as anyone’s in the competition.

“That was a huge lapse for us, and for us to come back (from) 10 down, there’s moments that we are proud of ourselves to be able to come back in and push for the result. But at the end as well, god there are some terrible moments,” she says.

“We can’t afford to do that against any team and we realise that. Pretty much either we don’t perform or we do.”

She says the her team’s constant roller-coaster from week to week and within games is something they’re still trying to get a handle on.

“We spoke about it and we have been speaking about some lapses that we have during the game and it’s been a repetitive conversation that we have had,” she says.

“The offset to that of playing some beautiful netball is those lapses that we currently are experiencing out on court and that is becoming very costly for us, especially up against some massive opposition and noting how close this table currently is.”

Taurua says the Lightning are still looking for answers to explain their inconsistency.

“We’re looking at our program in regards to what we do off-court in regards to our planning. Can we find a bit of spark and maybe adjust what we do in our planning and see if it’s that? Or ownership of individuals to make sure that they prepare themselves as good as they can before they take the court. That was one thing that had been discussed.”

“At the moment we’re running really heavily every day pretty much, in regards to our fitness and strength and conditioning program, noting that we started very early and it’s been a long season, not only for individuals but also those ones who have had international commitments over the time.”

“All the games we’ve lost have only been by three points, so it’s only really one turnover or two centre passes, which is very minimal, so we don’t want to chuck everything out that we’ve been doing well, and it’s a fine line.”

Now Taurua’s team faces arguably the toughest test in Suncorp Super Netball at the moment: a GIANTS Netball team that sits second on the ladder and has won five from seven this season, including a three-goal win against the Lightning in Round 1.

It’s a task she knows will require the Lightning to be at their best for a full 60 minutes, with the Giants playing scintillating, confident netball, as well as being on a mission after coming up short in last year’s decider.

“They’ve got massive swagger,” Taurua says.

“I think as well we met them in the finals and they want to have that premiership. I think at the moment they’re the team to beat, alongside Fever.”

“They’ve got really smart players in that attacking end. Kim Green’s having a blinder, she’s running that show.”

Barely anything separated the teams the last time they met, with the Giants having the better of the first and third quarters and the Lightning winning the second and fourth.

Taurua says the beating the Giants is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

“Even though physically in some respects they (Giants) are not pumping it out, mentally they are on top. We’ve got to be able to contest every ball and put them under pressure and be relentless in our defensive end. If we give them space they’re going to run us over.

The Lightning take on the Giants on Saturday at 3pm at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Catch the game LIVE on Channel 9 or the Netball Live app, or purchase tickets here.