The England Series will head to a deciding third Test after Australia suffered their first home loss since 2019 in stunning scenes.
Remarkably, England’s 61-59 victory on Sunday is their first win in Sydney since 1981 and only the nation’s third-ever over the Diamonds in Australia.
But it was their 15-goal turnaround in just three days that really impressed after England were blown off the court in game one.
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Here’s the big talking points from game two:
WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
Roses star Helen Housby summed up the 13-goal game one loss perfectly: “We got our asses handed to us”.
But just three days later, it was a fearless England outfit who took to the court and demanded the respect of the Diamonds.
Coach Jess Thirlby was clearly thrilled with her side’s two-goal win.
“We’re not done yet,” she said.
“We wanted to come here to both win the series and beat Aussie on home soil.
“My belief is pretty unwavering. I’m very stubborn … I will never falter in how much I know these girls are capable.”
Thirlby opted to start young Liv Tchine at goal shooter in the absence of injured El Cardwell and gave Lois Pearson the nod at wing attack – in just her second Test. And it was an attack end that shone together with the experience of Helen Housby in goal attack.
“I thought the fearlessness and freedom that attack showed was experience beyond their years in caps,” skipper Fran Williams praised.
“People were disappointed after our game one – we know we’re better than that.
“We didn’t want to sit on that. We weren’t going to go to Bendigo not still having our claws in this series.”
Australian netball great Catherine Cox couldn’t believe the improvement from England in just a matter of days.
“Whatever they’ve done in the last two days, they need to bottle that and sell it,” she laughed.
The Roses managed just six gains for the entire first Test against Australia – they had seven gains at half time in game two.
Heading into the final quarter, Thirlby laid it all on the line for her players stating “if there was ever a time to show up, it’s now”.
And that’s exactly what her squad did to seal the 61-59 win.
ROOKIE BECOMES ‘UNSUNG HERO’
Ex-Rose Ama Agbeze predicted big things from Lois Pearson heading into the England Series, and described the Manchester star as an “amazingly exciting prospect”.
Against Australia on Sunday, Pearson showed exactly why as she steered a Roses attack that had been lacking direction in the first Test.
Pearson racked up a whopping 39 feeds, 26 goal assists, 31 centre pass receives and an intercept while seeing off three different opponents – all in just her second Test cap.
“That is a star of the future for the Roses,” Australian netball great Catherine Cox praised.
“Pearson is the unsung hero for me. Gone about her business. Nothing flashy, just steady.”
Former England defender Stacey Francis-Bayman agreed it was a very impressive display from Pearson.
“She’s a very mature head on a relatively inexperienced player,” she said.
“Like oh my god, it’s cap number two. She started at wing attack, it’s against the Diamonds and she was well best out there. She played so well.”
Teammate Helen Housby was also left in awe of Pearson’s work.
“She was absolutely incredible. I can’t believe how mature she is beyond her years,” Housby told Fox Netball.
“To come out here and beat Aus on home soil, people dream of that and some people never ever get to achieve that.
“If I needed energy, she was there, she was giving me it.
“She was directing me on centre passes, she was letting the ball go, she was getting intercepts. I’m so proud of her. She’s an amazing girl.”
Pearson saw off a trio of Diamonds in Amy Parmenter, Sunday Aryang and Kate Moloney to produce arguably a contender for best on court performance.
NO FEAR THE FOCUS OF ‘CHANGING GUARD’
It’s no secret Australia are the envy of the world as the Diamonds hold every piece of netball silverware and continue to dominate series after series.
England meantime were expected to achieve great things after their shock 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal success – only it hasn’t turned out that way.
But now with a new cycle and fresh faced squad with an eye on the 2026 Games and 2027 Netball World Cup to be held in Australia, suddenly this England outfit is building some momentum.
“These young guns, they don’t have any fear. They are coming into this system believing England can win and that England should win,” Roses star Helen Housby explained.
And it’s that winning mentality that Stacey Francis-Bayman agreed with.
“There’s been a real changing of the guard,” she said of the England squad – with just five players from their 2023 Netball World Cup loss to Australia taking the court in Sunday’s game two.
“It takes a mountain to shift and try and change that history (of losing to Australia). The players coming through don’t have that trauma that some of us carry of stepping on the court and losing to Australia by 30-40 goals.
“What I loved is they had the consistency of performance and the consistency of personnel.
“What I absolutely love is how honest, bold and daring this squad is being in terms of trying to change that world order.
“England has been sat mostly third (in netball world rankings) for a really, really long time… that change doesn’t come unless they are able to win in Test series.
“It’s history (Sunday’s win) and it’s huge.
“Today is a really huge step forward.”
Ex-Diamond Bianca Chatfield agreed Sunday’s win will be instrumental to England’s confidence building ahead to a big netball cycle.
“To come out and beat them, that is going to set them up a long way into what happens when we get to the World Cup in 2027,” she said.
And England coach Jess Thirlby was quick to point out the side isn’t here for one-off wins.
“There’s a spattering of players in there who are early 20s – hopefully that bodes well for when they return in a couple of years.
“It’s very satisfying.
“It’s a hugely significant moment for this team … and for the Roses full stop.”
STACEY’S SELECTION HEADACHE
Australian coach Stacey Marinkovich has plenty to ponder after that two-goal loss – given squad members Ash Ervin and Georgie Horjus are yet to line up and Sophie Dwyer is yet to see any court time in the opening two games.
But the bid for court time is likely to end in heartbreak for the trio heading into game three, despite the series tipped to be a fact-finding mission for Marinkovich in terms of the next wave of talent.
Making just the one change from game one with Amy Parmenter in for Jamie-Lee Price, it was clear to see Price was missed.
And in attack, Cara Koenen struggled for accuracy as her pairing with Kiera Austin lacked the cohesiveness we’d witnessed in game one between Austin and Vixens’ teammate Sophie Garbin.
“I think now that the series is alive, I think she’s got to go to her top seven,” ex-Diamond Bianca Chatfield said of Marinkovich’s likely game 3 selection.
“They need to be able to stand up in those moments and deliver when it counts.
“(Stacey) needs to know who can get it done and what combinations are going to work in those moments.
“I think she’s going to revert back to Jamie-Lee Price in the side because she’s instrumental at winning back ball when they need it.”
Marinkovich was forced to shuffle the deck late in the contest as she stared down her first loss on Australian soil.
Rudi Ellis saw nine minutes before Marinkovich returned Sarah Klau to goal keeper, Sunday Aryang played both WD and GD, Tilly Garrett had a run for 26 minutes in defence while Paige Hadley got on court for the final three minutes.
“Making the change to bring Rudi Ellis on I thought was a brave move to make as Rudi hasn’t played in this kind of pressure before internationally,” Chatfield explained.
“It didn’t quite work the way they wanted – they weren’t winning enough ball back in the end.”
Former Rose Stacey Francis-Bayman said it was a roll of the dice that didn’t pay off for Australia – but didn’t cost them the win either.
“It’s a real flip of the coin as to whether your coaching move is brilliance or whether it hasn’t worked out in that moment,” she said.
Marinkovich said the Diamonds brains trust would reassess heading into the Third Test in Bendigo – but backed her players to get the job done.
“We don’t ever put a combination out there not going for a result at the same time,” she said.
“As soon as we put a combination out there, we’re backing in that it can get the job done.”
Interestingly, three Diamonds have played the full 120 minutes so far this series – Kiera Austin, Liz Watson and Sunday Aryang – compared to just one for England in Helen Housby.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Fox Netball’s Stacey Francis-Bayman threw down the challenge to England’s defenders after the 13-goal game one loss – step up and own a bib.
And on Sunday, that’s exactly what Fran Williams and Funmi Fadoju did as they created a formidable partnership that coach Jess Thirlby left out on court for the full 60 minutes.
Both Williams and Fadoju had been spread across all three defensive positions in recent England matches, but they were the catalyst to Australia throwing away ball time and time again in Sydney.
“I think they were shocked by the intensity they were facing,” ex-Diamond Bianca Chatfield said of Australia’s attack.
“Simply, the Roses put them under a whole lot more pressure than they were under in game one.”
The standout was game two MVP Fadoju who finished her day with eight gains – which was more than the entire Diamonds line up combined.
“She is so dominant in the air. The doubt she creates in the feeders mind is what is so powerful,” Chatfield praised.
“She is a phenomenal athlete and what a privilege we get to watch her.
“(England’s defenders) are really frustrating the Diamonds.
“They are making the Diamonds attackers second guess every pass they want to put in.
“So many times (Cara) Koenen has been open, but they don’t want to let the ball go because they know Fadoju is lurking somewhere.”
How to stop Fadoju’s impact will no doubt be part of Stacey Marinkovich’s review as the two sides now head to Bendigo for the deciding third Test on Wednesday.
Source Agencies
