Scotland secure 9th/10th Playoff Spot
3rd August 2023
Match Report: Scotland v Fiji
Scotland stepped back on court today after their first day off since the competition began six days ago.
In their sixth clash with Fiji at a World Cup, Scottish Thistles had something to prove and a win to secure if they were to stay on track with a top ten finish. The last time Scotland finished within top ten was 1991.
Their last meeting was a solid win from Fiji 51-41 at the 2015 Netball World Cup in Sydney for 11th/12th playoff where only Claire Maxwell from Thistles squad was present.
Today was a chance for the Scottish Thistles to show their growth on the world stage and secure a playoff spot higher than their previous finishes of 11th in 2019 and 12th in 2015.
Tamsin Greenway explained her game plan heading into the match “they were a targeted team for us so we wanted to beat them. Fiji and Barbados were the games we thought we could go for.”
Scotland coaches used their pre-match training well orchestrating a match with Fiji days before the 16th Netball World Cup kicked off in Cape Town.
“It was great having a pre-match against Fiji, it was really helpful to build the confidence coming into the competition.”
A change to what has been a consistent starting seven was backed up with a strong focus on attack according to Greenway,
“The game plan was very much in the attack end which is unlike us but that was our focus. We’ve been working on getting around the box and understanding what ball can go in and so that focus was very much on us and how we can use the width and how we opened up some space in the attacking end.”
“We started strongly, and we got that 7-1 lead but you can’t keep winning ball off teams. It was closer at half time that we would have liked because we didn’t win any ball in that second quarter, and we didn’t adjust necessarily to their defensive style quick enough so that was a tough one.”
“Defensively we knew it was going to be that rotating circle which is exciting at times and really hard to shut down so we knew we would struggle at winning ball if we didn’t stick to some structures. The plan was to try and at least get some good first phase and second phase landings so then we could slip into our defensive position which I think other than the second quarter we did a really good job at.”
Fiji used their bench throughout the match, but Greenway says they expected that and were prepared;
“We talked about that, we knew that was going to happen, it’s the way they play but actually our focus was very much on us today and how we were going to manage what we were doing out on the court. I think it cost them in the end because they made so many changes it didn’t help them with any momentum. The focus was very much on how we wanted to play the game and work that out rather than worry about who was coming on and off.”
“At half-time is where the real impact was felt in terms of the tactical information we wanted them to take on. I think giving Emily Nicholl some time on the bench to look at the game and then re-enter was key.”
Greenway points to some tactical changes from her that influenced the match;
“We wouldn’t usually put Hannah Grant in at goal keeper against some teams because she doesn’t match up with the height but I thought this was her game and that move really helped to shut down options.”
“Hannah Leighton was my player of the match for how she kept us in the game at times, how she won ball. I think that is she can be really dangerous across both positions because she can open some stuff in attack but we know that shift of hers to wing defence is a lethal one, the wing attacks really have a tough job on their hands.”
Q1: 13-8
Q2: 29-26 (16 -18)
Q3: 45-39 (16-13)
Q4: 62-46 (17-7)
Player of the Match – Niamh McCall
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 03: Player of the Match Niamh McCall of Scotland during the Netball World Cup 2023, Pool F match between Fiji and Scotland at Cape Town International Convention Centre Court 2 on August 03, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Royn/Gallo Images/Netball World Cup 2023)
Scotland have one final match in their World Cup campaign:
Scotland v Wales
9th/10th Playoff
Saturday 5th August
