Vitality Netball Superleague Round 3 preview
Watch Team Bath against Surrey Storm live on Sky Sports Mix, Arena, and Main Event on Monday from 6.45pm
Tuesday 29 January 2019 15:15, UK
After a thrilling Netball Quad Series, our focus shifts to the domestic stage as the Vitality Netball Superleague returns for Round 3.
With the England Vitality Roses finishing the Quad Series on a high, it's time for the domestic competition to step back into the spotlight.
For Roses squad members, the Superleague will be vital for them to maintain their personal form leading into July's Netball World Cup. For those just outside of the squad, the competition is a chance to earn opportunities on the international stage.
Eight of the 10 Superleague sides have enjoyed two runs-outs to date, with Wasps Netball and Manchester Thunder having taken to the court just once.
There's a full round of action on the way, and on Monday evening, our cameras will be joining Team Bath and Surrey Storm at Team Bath Arena.
Saracens Mavericks v Loughborough Lightning, Friday 7pm
In Round 2, Saracens Mavericks pushed aside their opening loss with a 59-39 victory over Surrey Storm, and, as a result, return home in determined fashion.
The performance from Kat Ratnapala's team included their shooters - George Fisher and Kadeen Corbin - each missing just one shot in the match.
Fisher finished her day's work having scored 43 of her 44 shots, while Corbin slotted 16 out of 17 and both were part of England A's trio of closed-door matches against the Roses, Diamonds, and Silver Ferns.
Meanwhile, Sara Bayman's Lightning were spearheaded by mid-courters Nat Panagarry and Hannah Joseph in Round 2, as they bounced back from a 30-goal loss to Wasps at Super 10.
The 52-44 win over Severn Stars left the 700-strong home crowd delighted, but Loughborough will be well aware of the challenges that come with delivering wins on the road.
Severn Stars v Celtic Dragons, Friday 7.30pm
Severn Stars will be playing at the new University of Gloucestershire Arena for the first time this weekend, and will be looking to start their tenure there on a successful note.
After their losses to Lightning in Round 2 and Pulse in Round 1, head coach Sam Bird is calling for greater precision in front of a sold-out crowd this week.
"We need to be more ruthless with possession and punish opponents when we have the opportunity," said Bird, as part of her pre-match analysis.
Stars will hope that the inside knowledge brought by Welsh international shooters Cara Lea Moseley and Georgia Rowe, who joined from Celtic Dragons at the start of the 2019 campaign, helps to provide key insights leading into this match.
Manchester Thunder v Strathclyde Sirens, Saturday 5pm
Manchester Thunder's opening match of the season saw them turn heads with a 58-51 victory over Saracens Mavericks.
On the day, Thunder's defensive prowess shone through - as did evidence of just how settled they are as a squad.
That said, Karen Greig and Dan Ryan will still feel that they have much more to give; they've had plenty of time to prepare for this game too after their Round 2 match was rescheduled to later in the season.
Strathclyde Sirens are very clear about their aims for this campaign, as Cat Tuivaiti shared this week.
"We just want to rock the boat, we want to shake up the competition a little bit - it's going to happen," said Tuivaiti, who has already taken the league by storm with her skill levels.
There's no question that a rumble on the road at Thunder would certainly mix things up, as many are tipping Saturday's hosts to be Grand Final contenders this season.
London Pulse v Wasps Netball, Saturday 7pm
Wasps arrive at the Copper Box Arena with great memories of previous matches there - their last two visits have ended in silverware, winning the Superleague Grand Final in July, and the Fast5 All Stars in October.
On top of that, it's set to be a landmark match for Rachel Dunn, one of the players of the moment.
Dunn, who turned the Roses' game on its head against the Australian Diamonds, will take to a Vitality Netball Superleague court for the 200th time in London.
The 36-year-old may well find herself matched against Ama Agbeze, as the defender continues to return from a knee injury.
Agbeze ran out for Pulse in Round 2 and recently took to the court for England A. The value of her on-court presence cannot be stressed enough.
As a unit, Pulse must dust themselves off after their 67-40 loss to Celtic Dragons, while Wasps need to make sure that they're not rusty, having not taken to the court since Round 1.
Team Bath v Surrey Storm, Monday 7pm - Live on Sky Sports Mix, Arena and Main Event
Team Bath are going into this encounter as the only team that has played two and won two so far this domestic season.
While England A and the Roses were in action, Bath kept focused by introducing a training session against the Knights national men's team.
Storm are at the opposite end of the scale with zero from two this season, but they're going to be boosted by the return of some key players, including South Africa Proteas' defender Shadine van der Merwe and Sigi Burger.
Watch Team Bath take on Surrey Storm in the Vitality Netball Superleague, live on Sky Sports Mix, Arena, and Main Event from 6.45pm on Monday. Also, Sky Sports will be showing every game of the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in July.
