Yeah….. Sarah wrote the title for today’s post!
So to the final day to round off what is most likely the most physically and mentally taxing week of the lives of any of the team members.
Fortunately for many weary bodies the were no training sessions today but that meant a whiteboard (in our case it was cardboard!) session to cover the key point and tactics we needed to undertake on court against China. I think Coach needs to work on his artistic skills a bit but his ‘creative’ drawings caused much amusement for the team!
Today was a special day as one of our co-captains Rosa Cooper was turning 23 today and after a tournament of struggling with leg injuries she was looking to celebrate with a win and stronger performance on court (not to mention a few beverages later on in the evening!!).
A final pre-game performance of Tutira Mai was performed on the bus by a pensive looking kiwi side. As we entered the stadium to Rise Up we passed a typical sight that was around all week, the Chinese having their pre-game cigarette outside the stadium. It’s hard to comprehend after the changes that have been made in NZ how smoking is such a normal part of the Chinese culture.
Today’s pre-game talk was about reflecting on the journey till this point, the people that have helped get us here and turning that into motivation for on court. A pumped up yet apprehensive NZ side took to the court. Attack Simon Cooper, Spencer Te Pou, Alisha Muir, Natasha Van Vuuren. Defence Carl Chung, Mikey Graham, Sarah Bateup and Rosa Cooper (C).
The game was to be typically physically intense as the size and basketball background of the Chinese players was evident. NZ began looking very promising, with the most cohesive attacking structure of the week being displayed on court. After Simon Cooper and Xiao yang Liu traded two penalties each, the score was locked at 5-5 after 20 minutes. The seesaw first half continued with both sides showing good attacking play but neither being able to gain ascendancy in the game, China leading at half time 9-8.
The turning point in the game came at the start of the second half with China pressuring the NZers hard, scoring two quick goals and taking a three-goal lead in the game for the first time. We continued to hover two to three goals behind for the first 10 minutes until coach Garrett introduced the speed of Jamie Osborne with immediate effect. A subsequent penalty allowed the kiwi’s to close within one. China responded with a couple of sharp shots from distance to quickly return the lead to four goals. New Zealand continued to fight hard but could not recover from those two small patches where China took control. China took the game and the first reserve spot for world champs 21-19.
The two-goal margin was a vast improvement on the 11-goal loss earlier in the week but the result was still a painful one for the Kiwi’s. Again, coach Garrett summed things up fairly but noting that simple errors cost us the game but the performance on court today reflected the incredible growth of the team this week. He was heartened by that fact and stressed his excitement about the future of Korfball back in New Zealand if we can retain players and build on the momentum gained this week.
On a personal note, I am immensely proud of what this young team has achieved and the growth in each and every player both on and off court, not just through this week but also through the whole campaign. I can’t wait for you all to join me on court as members of the NZ senior team to help build a bright future for Korfball in our country and for us on the international stage!!
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