Silver Ferns beat Australia 56-50 in Constellation Cup opener
The Silver Ferns defeated Australia 56-50 in the first Constellation Cup Test at Auckland. They extended their home winning streak.
New Zealand beat Australia 56-50 in the opening Constellation Cup Test in Auckland on Sunday. The Silver Ferns won for the 11th straight time against the Diamonds on home soil.
The Ferns dominated much of the match and showed superior fitness and defensive pressure. Australia launched a late rally to take the final quarter 17-11 but could not close the gap.
The Diamonds had attacking struggles and poor discipline. This cost them, with 61 total penalties called against them as they chased the game.
Sophie Garbin came off the bench to score 20 of 21 goals in 30 minutes. She helped Australia improve their accuracy to 82 per cent by the end.
The series uses total goals across four matches to decide the winner, so Australia still has time to recover.
- 56-50 to New Zealand
- Final score
- 11 consecutive wins
- Home winning streak
- 61 total
- Penalties against Australia
- Auckland
- Venue
Why it mattersAustralia's defensive weaknesses and poor choices are shown early. This gives the team time to rebuild before the next Test.
AustraliaThe Diamonds lose early ground in a series they will be desperate to win, with the second match offering a chance for immediate redemption.
Corroborated bynzherald.co.nz
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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