England's netball team, the Vitality Roses, have set up a thrilling decider for Sunday's final fixture against South Africa after emerging victorious in match two in Johannesburg. Despite losing the first match by seven goals, England bounced back to level the series 1-1 with a hard-fought win of 61-49.
Head coach Jess Thirlby attributed their success to being "smarter" with the ball and moving it better around their excellent defense. The team's passion and commitment defensively were key in wearing down South Africa and forcing errors, which they capitalized on to gain an eight-goal cushion at one point.
England captain Fran Williams praised her teammates for showing composure under pressure, particularly after South Africa came out strong initially. She highlighted the importance of playing in must-win games, saying it's what they want for a Commonwealth Games year.
The Vitality Roses took control of the match with a strong 'championship quarter' score, leading 44-36 with just 15 minutes remaining. They maintained their lead without faltering and were named player of the match by Williams.
Sunday's live match on Sky Sports YouTube will be a decider for the series, and England will need to step up their game to claim victory over South Africa.
Head coach Jess Thirlby attributed their success to being "smarter" with the ball and moving it better around their excellent defense. The team's passion and commitment defensively were key in wearing down South Africa and forcing errors, which they capitalized on to gain an eight-goal cushion at one point.
England captain Fran Williams praised her teammates for showing composure under pressure, particularly after South Africa came out strong initially. She highlighted the importance of playing in must-win games, saying it's what they want for a Commonwealth Games year.
The Vitality Roses took control of the match with a strong 'championship quarter' score, leading 44-36 with just 15 minutes remaining. They maintained their lead without faltering and were named player of the match by Williams.
Sunday's live match on Sky Sports YouTube will be a decider for the series, and England will need to step up their game to claim victory over South Africa.
They really showed what they're made of in match two, especially with that defense looking almost impenetrable 
. But I do think we need to see a bit more cohesion in their playstyle - sometimes those clever passes with the ball felt like individual brilliance rather than team effort 
... Still, if they can keep up the momentum and stay focused under pressure, I'm confident they'll bring home that win! 
Fingers crossed for Sunday's decider, let's see how it all goes down! 
! And Jess Thirlby's analysis about being "smarter" with the ball is spot on 
. But seriously, South Africa was the stronger team in that first match... this second one has definitely shown they can compete 
!
So I was looking at some stats from the Vitality Roses' last match against South Africa 
, and it's clear that England's defense is on 
fire! They conceded 49 goals in match two, but only 36 in the second half 
️ fast - they averaged 15.5 seconds to gain possession of the ball!
But what I find really interesting is that England's attack was still relatively quiet 
. If they can get their scorers firing on all cylinders, I think they've got a good chance of taking down South Africa 
️ intense!
! They were down 7 goals at one point but still managed to come back and win it in style 
. Can't wait to watch Sunday's match, gonna be a nail-biter! 
And I love how Fran Williams emphasized the importance of playing in must-win games - it's all about mental toughness, right? 
Can't wait to watch them take on South Africa on Sunday - let's see if they can seal that win! 
can't handle a little loss? 7 goals is crazy though, that's like losing by a landslide in some sports... anyway, hope england brings it on sunday, gonna be a sick match against south africa 
england's comeback from 1-0 down is insane - it shows they're learning from their mistakes and adapting their strategy mid-game. south africa had a solid start, but the roses' defense was solid as stone. now that the series is tied at 1-1, sunday's match will be all about who can manage pressure best. the question is, can england keep up the momentum and capitalize on those errors? 
️
! Now, let's see if they can keep up this momentum on Sunday... fingers crossed for the Vitality Roses 
!
. And don't even get me started on the YouTube live stream... how's that going to affect our collective viewing experience? Is it really worth the hype? 
So if england wins sunday its all good right? And oh man, those players are so energetic on the court I feel like I could run a marathon just watching them 
. And don't even get me started on how they never talk about the actual game footage. I mean, come on guys, it's not that hard to embed a video link into a post 
. Anyway, back to Vitality Roses... nice comeback win for England, but seriously, can we expect some decent discussion around the match strategy or player performance? Or is it all just going to be generic praise and "good job" comments 
.
but seriously though it's great to see them bouncing back and showing some fight - maybe they're more than just a one-trick pony? 
they came out strong at first but england's defense was like "nah bruh" 
and now its anyone's game 
. Seriously though, England is on fire right now and if they can keep that defense going, they're gonna take down South Africa in no time 
. Anyways, bring on Sunday's match – I'll be glued to my screen cheering them on