England captain Ama Agbeze backs Commonwealth Games gold-medal ambitions
"We have played better and people outside have seen us play well and they believe we can win."
Thursday 22 March 2018 17:29, UK
Ama Agbeze believes the momentum England Roses picked up during their impressive Quad Series campaign in January has increased awareness of their credentials as gold medal candidates at the Commonwealth Games.
The England captain, who plays for New Zealand side Northern Stars, was integral to the squad that picked up a first runners-up finish in the prestigious tournament which featured Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Agbeze will lead the side at her third Games - the sport's pinnacle - on Australia's Gold Coast and is determined to impress on the world stage under head coach Tracey Neville and improve on their fourth-place finish in Glasgow four years ago.
"We are setting ourselves the goal of winning," Agbeze, whose side will meet New Zealand, Malawi, Wales, Scotland and Uganda in Pool B, told Sky Sports.
"In Glasgow we had the goal of winning and despite the fact we didn't come away with a medal it was the closest England have come to going for the gold medal match. Everyone in that team believed we could win.
"It shows [the fine margins] and how just two goals cost us. We have learnt our lessons from that and we had some good results in the Quad Series.
"We have got more [match experience] under our belt. The world believes in us more now as opposed to Glasgow, where it was just us as a team.
"We have played better and people outside have seen us play well and they believe we can win."
England last picked up a medal in the netball at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi with a bronze and the former Loughborough Lightning player describes the chance to captain her country as a "phenomenal honour".
To be given the opportunity to lead the team is huge and what we are on the brink of is massive if we can pull it together and perform.
"I have got goosebumps now just talking about it. It is such a phenomenal honour and feeling. It is hard to put it into words," she said.
"Not many people get to do this and not many people even get to go to a Commonwealth Games.
"To be given the opportunity to lead the team is huge and what we are on the brink of is massive if we can pull it together and perform.
"It is a brilliant opportunity so I am just delighted to be in this position."
Agbeze credits the collective desire of the team to strive for perfection as pivotal in their strides in the past year but accepts they will need to perform to their best when it counts next month.
"Tracey (Neville) has been working hard to try and improve our team culture, what it means to be a Roses player and what it takes to wear the red dress," Agbeze said.
"Everyone is pushing each other to not accept mediocre [performances] and not to accept making mistakes. It takes time to build that but it just doesn't happen overnight.
"We are almost where we need to be so we have got that basis. It will just be about putting it together, the right combinations on court and performing when it counts."
The Vitality Superleague returns on Sunday, April 22, with Wasps Netball in action against Team Bath. Coverage gets underway from 2.45pm on Sky Sports Action & Sky Sports Mix, which you can find on channel 287, and is free for all Sky customers.
Follow the 2018 Superleague season with us on Sky Sports and through our website skysports.com/Netball with news, previews, reports and expert analysis throughout the season. And also our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkyNetball - #BelieveTheHype
