Fast start carries Johannesburg to victory at national netball champs

The Johannesburg district team closed out a superb campaign on Saturday, beating Mangaung 46-40 in the final to retain their title at the Spar National Netball Championships in Rustenburg.

Johannesburg raced into an early 6-0 lead in the trophy contest, and while Mangaung tried desperately to claw their way back into the match, the defending champions’ great start ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.

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“We wanted to start well and put the pressure on them because it consumes a lot of energy if you have to play catch-up netball,” said Johannesburg coach Elsje Jordaan.

“So we knew if we could make the margin quite big, that they would have to come strong and we could maybe force their coach’s hand to make some changes.

“It almost played out like a storybook, but in true Mangaung style they fought back, and we have lots of respect for them. But I think we did enough at the beginning and we were able to hang on, which was fantastic to see.”

Silver medallists

Though they settled for the runner-up spot, Mangaung coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm was pleased with her team’s efforts throughout the six-day tournament.

The Free State side took a big step forward by stepping on the podium after they finished fourth at last year’s domestic showpiece.

“We fought very hard (in the final) and there was a time when we could have taken it, when we were two goals down, so I give it to the girls,” said Mosoahle-Samm.

“They are a young team and we had six new players, so a game of this magnitude was quite big for some of them and they took time to get into it.

“Johannesburg are a very experienced team and they know how to play matches like this, and there was a bit of nerves from my team, but that’s understandable.”

In the third-place playoff, held earlier on Saturday, host district Dr Kenneth Kaunda beat Cape Winelands 53-52.