England Roses gearing up for Uganda tests on home soil
Three-Test series live on Sky Sports from November 27 to December 2
Monday 29 October 2018 16:28, UK
England Roses are nearing their first action on home soil since being crowned Commonwealth Games champions, with Uganda their opponents in a three-match Vitality Netball International series later this autumn.
The matches will take place from November 27 to December 2, with the Echo Arena in Liverpool - home of the Netball World Cup 2019 - hosting the first match against the She Cranes.
The series will then move on to London's Copper Box Arena for the second and third matches, with live coverage of all three matches on Sky Sports.
England made history seven months ago at the 2018 Commonwealth Games by winning England's first ever Games and defeating home favourites Australia 52-51 in the final.
England will once again be facing the She Cranes, who they narrowly beat 55-49 on their journey to gold on the Gold Coast.
"It's really exciting to be back on home soil for the first time since the Commonwealth Games," Ama Agbeze, England Roses captain, said.
"The support we've had from back home was relayed to us on the Gold Coast, but it's difficult to grasp its extent from afar. I've not been back to the UK since the Games and it's great to hear that there's a buzz around netball.
"We only beat the She Cranes by six goals at the Games so it was not a walk in the park. The She Cranes play with athleticism and poise, and we'll be looking at building pressure across the course of the game to force them into error.
"Given the game is one of the few international hit outs prior to the World Cup, I'm sure our Head Coach will be looking at various combinations as well as individual performances."
An understrength England lost all three Tests in a recent series against Jamaica and Uganda are seen as a good challenge for the world No 2 side - their highest position to date in the rankings - as England's head coach Tracey Neville prepares her side for the 2019 Netball World Cup.
"Uganda are an orthodox team. We had a tough game against them at the Commonwealth Games, in which we only managed to beat them by six goals," Neville said.
"Although we started the game well, their resilience to possess the ball made it really difficult for us to create many opportunities, something we will be looking to improve in November.
"The series will give us an opportunity for us to look at, work on and expose more players and also build on solidifying combinations. The African countries are getting stronger with Uganda leading the way, so it further challenges us building into World Cup.
"The Roses are leading into a tough couple of months in the international calendar and their resilience is paramount, especially in their three match series against Uganda."
