Early NZ World Cup clash ideal for Diamonds

Trinidad and Tobago yesterday began their training in Sydney, Australia ahead of the start of the Netball World Cup 2015.

“To be representing my country on a whole is very exciting, but this is my third (Netball World Cup) and I am really excited to actually be here and to compete, ” Cooper said in an article on the tournaments website.

Trinidad and Tobago team – Joelisa Cooper (captain), Afeisha Noel, Amanda Cameron, Candice Guerero, Daystar Swift, Kalifa McCollin, Kemba Duncan, Kielle Connelly, Onella Jack, Rhonda John-Davis, Samantha Wallace, Tricia Liverpool; Wesley Gomes (coach).

But the Australian contingent is taking comfort from last year’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal campaign.

An emotional Tracey Neville led her England side out on court just hours after reports emerged that her father, Neville Neville, had been taken ill in Australia.

Meanwhile the Australia netball coach Lisa Alexander said she’ll use the side’s opening two Netball World Cup matches to find the starting line-up that will purr most against arch-rivals New Zealand.

While she wouldn’t reveal which seven will start, the coach reiterated her intention to experiment with combinations throughout both the opener and the Diamonds’ second pool match with ninth-ranked Barbados on Saturday.

“It’s kind of hard to describe it as a particular skill or tactic that you’re looking for but it’s just that ability to know that’s what’s working for us”.

For captain Laura Geitz and her teammates, the world titles finally became real on Thursday afternoon when the 12 players underwent their final training session at Olympic Park.

“We’ve practiced it back in New Zealand so we know that we can do it, we’ve just got to do it again”.

“We’re all great mates, but we still fight hard at every training session”.