Saracens Mavericks focus on consistency in bid for top-four Superleague finish
Kat Ratnapala's team occupy fifth position in the Vitality Netball Superleague table and move into Round 13 off the back of successive wins; Mavericks are aiming for a first top-four finish since 2017
Last Updated: 11/04/22 12:30pm
Saracens Mavericks' secured back-to-back wins for the first time since February in Round 12 of the Vitality Netball Superleague.
A 55-46 triumph over Celtic Dragons took place in front of their home fans at the Hertfordshire Sports Village and followed up a 62-43 home win over Wasps in Round 11.
Consistency has been something Mavericks have struggled with in recent seasons; the talented squad have been known for producing outstanding results and then slipping up. It's resulted in them missing out on the play-offs since 2017.
"Every single game is a key game for us," Kat Ratnapala, Saracens Mavericks' director of netball said after their latest win.
"It's so tight and we can't slip up. We had our performance director for Saracens talk about what we need to do and how we need to push on.
"We're looking at individual and unit areas to work on. It was great to see that come in [against Dragons]; we did get a bit excited on the bench but at least I've still got a voice."
One particularly pleasing area for Ratnapala is the fact athletes are stepping up, while others are on the sidelines due to injury.
Shooter Brit Clarke and Aliyah Zaranyika, who is in her first full season at Superleague level, are two that impressed Ratnapala in Round 12.
"For Brit to play against an international player in Shaquanda Greene-Noel and be under the level of pressure she was, I thought she did phenomenally well," Ratnapala said.
"The connection between Beth (Ecuyer-Dale) and Brit throughout the game was fantastic. Beth can thread that needle and she did it fantastically."
Next stop for Mavericks is the Vitality Netball Superleague 'Spring Showdown' at the Resorts World Birmingham on April 16 and 17, live on Sky Sports. They take on Severn Stars on Saturday at 8pm, followed by London Pulse at 5.15pm on Sunday.
Stars sit at the foot of the Superleague table, while London Pulse are fellow top-four rivals and have won seven of their 11 matches so far this season.
Mavericks also have new defender Temalisi Fakahokotau to field during the forthcoming rounds.
Fakahokotau has joined the London side after taking some time out of ANZ Premiership in New Zealand. She covers all three positions and is a game-changing defender.
Vitality Netball Superleague - Round 11
| Friday | Surrey Storm 41-66 Team Bath Netball |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Saracens Mavericks 55-46 Celtic Dragons |
| Saturday | Manchester Thunder 78-53 Severn Stars |
| Monday | Leeds Rhinos Netball vs Strathclyde Sirens |
| Monday | Team Bath Netball vs London Pulse |
Elsewhere in Round 12 of the Vitality Netball Superleague, Team Bath Netball overcame Surrey Storm at the Surrey Sports Park.
Bath built their advantage over the course of the opening three quarters, before a 22-9 final quarter sealed the deal.
Defensively they produced 10 interceptions and 19 turnovers, with Layla Guscoth and Phumza Maweni showing their international calibre.
Meanwhile, Manchester Thunder maintained their unbeaten record as a result of a 78-53 victory over Severn Stars.
Karen Greig's team have now scored 70 goals or more in six of their 12 matches. In Round 12, Greig used 11 of their 12 athletes and kept their error count down to just eight unforced errors.
Watch the Vitality Netball Superleague's 'Spring Showdown' with 10 matches live on Sky Sports on Saturday and Sunday. The action starts at 12:30pm on Sky Sports Mix on Saturday with Loughborough Lightning against Surrey Storm.
