The Tuks netball team came close to playing the perfect game on Monday night in Bloemfontein when they thrashed Kovsies in their first Varsity-encounter.

The Tuks team won the Varsity Netball game 63-42.

The defending champions started off well scoring the first goal and for the next, four or so minutes managed to cling to a one-goal lead, but then the proverbial dam wall burst, and there was no stopping Tuks. In a ten-minute blitzkrieg, which included the Tuks powerplay, the visitors laid the foundation to their victory.

At the end of the first quarter, Tuks was leading 22-12. By halftime, they stretched their lead to 14 goals, and after the third quarter, they led by 24 goals. Kovsies managed to claw back two goals in the last 15 minutes, but by then coach Jenny van Dyk started to make changes giving the younger players some game time.

Key to Tuks’s domination was the communication between the players or to be more precise how the various combinations teamed up to disrupt Kovsies in every facet of the game.

Jasmine Ziegelmeier and Akosua Mensah managed through their tactical brilliance to totally undermine the confidence of the home team’s goal shooters. There was never any guarantee of Kovsies scoring when they got the ball into the circle. It took only one mistake or a moment’s hesitation for Mensah to intercept the ball while Ziegelmeier had a physical presence in the circle at all times.

Tshina Mdau (captain) and Marlize de Bruin (vice-captain) were as impressive.

Through their pro-active play, they managed to ensure a continuous flow of the ball to the respective goal scorers Venetia Grobler and Chantelle Swart. Both were in good form and scored on a regular basis.

Mdau’s work rate throughout the game was unbelievable. There was rarely a moment when she was not in the thick of things at times, even putting her body on the line at times for the team. That led to her justifiably receiving the player of the match award.

The way Grobler and Swart operated in the circle, not worrying about who got to score the goals, also deserves to be mentioned. Their only focus was on making sure that the score board kept on ticking over continuously for 60 minutes. It certainly contributed to the visitor’s dominance.

The Tuks team will face the Madibaz in their second game this coming Monday in Stellenbosch.

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