Eight years after England’s dramatic last-gasp triumph over Australia on the Gold Coast, netball’s greatest Commonwealth rivalry was renewed in Glasgow. But this time there was no fairytale finish for the Roses as the defending champion produced a ruthless display to dismantle England 66-47 at the Hydro, the Diamonds extending their record against this opposition at the Games to seven wins from eight meetings.
Ever since Helen Housby’s last-second winner stunned the Diamonds in the 2018 final, every meeting between these two heavyweights has carried extra edge. Australia gained a measure of revenge by beating England on the way to gold in Birmingham four years ago and Sunday’s Commonwealth Games pool clash was another marker of where the sport’s fiercest rivalry stands.
Australia were quicker, sharper and more clinical from the opening whistle, with their star-studded attack of Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin immediately exposing England’s defence.
“It was very physical out there, but that’s what we expected and that’s what we prepared for,” said Garbin. “Obviously it’s nice to get the win, but England put up a really good fight.
“It’s really exciting, especially playing over here in Glasgow. We knew we had a lot of Scots barracking for us. I think everyone told us to go and smash the English girls, so we knew we’d have a lot of support here, but they would as well. It’s awesome. That’s what you want – to play these games in front of these crowds in this amazing arena. It was really exciting.”
The Diamonds raced into an early 10-4 lead as Austin began dictating proceedings, while England struggled to live with Australia’s relentless pressure through the court. Sasha Glasgow was withdrawn before the end of the opening quarter as the interim head coach Anna Stembridge searched for answers, and Lois Pearson’s move into goal attack briefly stemmed the tide.
England clawed back to 13-9, but every glimpse of momentum was extinguished by Australia’s ruthless efficiency. Garbin repeatedly found space on the baseline, finishing with 41 goals from 42 attempts, while Austin contributed 15 goals alongside 19 assists and 17 feeds.
By the end of the opening quarter Australia led 18-11. England attempted to shake things up early in the second period, introducing Jayda Pechová into defence while shifting the captain Fran Williams into goal defence. The changes initially worked, with Pechová disrupting Australia’s rhythm as England opened the quarter with a 4-1 burst.
Jamie-Lee Price and Austin restored Australia’s composure, while England’s frustration began to show. Liv Tchine remained the Roses’ brightest attacking outlet, using her height and movement to keep England competitive, but Courtney Bruce and Jo Weston continually forced difficult feeds and turnovers.
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Bruce and Tchine exchanged plenty of contact in the circle, while the contest became increasingly feisty as England tried to unsettle Australia’s defensive unit. Tchine’s shove into Bruce’s back late in the second quarter summed up the growing frustration as the Diamonds stretched their advantage to 35-24 at half-time.
If England harboured hopes of another famous fightback, Australia extinguished them in the third quarter. The Diamonds outscored the Roses 21-11 in a devastating spell, capitalising on England’s errors with clinical precision. Turnovers, offensive contacts and loose passes repeatedly handed possession straight back to Australia, who punished every mistake. With a 21-goal cushion entering the final quarter, the contest was effectively over.
“That’s definitely not the result that we came for but it’s also not the performance,” said Williams. “We were just far off our best and we never really got some momentum to get our teeth into the game, which is a shame. It’s really tough when a game blows out like that in the second half. You’ve got to make sure that you’re still going after those small wins and little fights.”
England fan favourite Eleanor Cardwell entered to a huge reception from the Glasgow crowd and immediately injected fresh energy into the attack. Her battle with Sarah Klau added another flashpoint to an already bruising encounter, with Klau receiving an official warning after sending Cardwell tumbling to the floor. Cardwell refused Klau’s offer of assistance before dusting herself down and continuing. England marginally won the final quarter, but by then the damage had long been done.
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