Meads put in defence to combat height

Press, 5 August 1985, Page 26

Meads put in defence to combat height

NZPA special correspondent London The lofty goalshooter, Rhonda Meads, snatched the spotlight when she was called on to play a leading defensive role in the World Games netball clash between New Zealand and Jamaica in London yesterday. Meads, 1.85 m, came into the side at goal keep as a ploy intended by the coach, Mrs Lois Muir, to counter the height of the Jamaican shooter, Patricia McDonald. The Jamaicans had kept within striking distance until the final whistle the previous day against the world champions, Australia, by repeating the looped ball to the rangy McDonald,

The mere presence of Meads, aged 23, helped to eliminate that tactic and New Zealand beat the Jamaicans 35-31. Later it beat England, 34-29. Meads, combining with regular defenders, Tracey Fear and Wai Taumaunu, seemed to relish the chance to wreck the goal scoring opportunities rather than create them. She said later that she had not played in a defensive position for many years and her selection came as “a bit of a shock.”

“I haven’t had any representative or provincial experience as a keeper but it was good to be on court.”

The inclusion of Meads forced a centre court shuffle which saw the wing defence, Leigh Gibbs, move to her former position of centre. Gibbs moved the ball sharply through court, and with the captain, Lyn Parker, supplied the forwards, Margaret Forsyth and Margie Matenga, with some useful possession.

In a physical game which bristled with excitement New Zealand reclaimed the lead against Jamaica late in the first spell and held a 1614 advantage at the break before going on to take its second win of the tournament. New Zealand later met a highly-motivated English side and had to battle hard for its win. England, in its best form of the tournament, forced a 16-16 halftime deadlock and kept the match alive until late in the second spell. The New Zealand centre, Sandy Edge, who was substituted off in the previous match against Scotland, was back yesterday with fire in her boots. Parker, who had a torrid battle with the English livewire, Sue Keal, left the court in the second half suffering calf muscle cramp and was replaced by Rita Fatialofa. A New Zealand representative since 1972, Parker said she only left the court as a precautionary measure. New Zealand ended its match amid the chants of a haka performed by a group of Waikato supporters who are on a Maori cultural tour of Europe. In other matches England easily accounted for a drooping Scottish side, 37-12, Northern Ireland notched up its best score of the tournament in going down to Australia, 39-21, and Jamaica beat Scotland, 40-27. The New Zealand teams: v. Jamaica: Rhonda Meads, Tracey Fear, Wai Taumaunu, Leigh Gibbs, Lyn Parker (captain), Margaret Forsyth, Margharet Matenga. v. England: Fear, Taumaunu, Gibbs, Sandra Edge, Parker (replaced by Rita Fatialofa), Forsyth, Matenga.