By Sophie Taylor
Pressure was the name of the game in the second test of the 2025 Constellation Cup, as the Origin Australian Diamonds delivered a blistering 17-goal victory at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
The Diamonds came out with plenty of heat to begin the match and, despite a challenging second term, consolidated after half time to come home with confidence.
With the same starting lineups as the first test it was a fast start and neither team was willing to relent.
Liz Watson started strong in her 50th match as Origin Diamonds captain, piling on the offensive pressure against a threatening Kate Heffernan.
With both teams feeling each other out early in the contest, it was the Diamonds that pulled away first, off the back of New Zealand’s errors.
Courtney Bruce was flying high on confidence after an early held ball call on young gun Martina Salmon, while Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin combined seamlessly out the front.
New Zealand shooter Grace Nweke kept the Kiwis ticking along, but suffered from a lack of ball as Australia’s defence stifled ball movement to lead by six goals at the first change.
A physical second quarter kept fans on their toes as the Silver Ferns worked their way back into the contest.
Georgia Heffernan’s confidence to post became a nuisance very quickly, while Maddy Gordon’s ability to glide across the court disrupted the Diamonds’ flow.
Just two goals separated the two sides going into the main break, with the workrate ramping up and no stone left unturned.
But the Diamonds flew out of the blocks to start the second half, breaking through New Zealand’s midcourt press thanks to fresh legs in attack.
Georgie Horjus entered the contest adding speed to the front-end while Jamie-Lee Price was reinvigorated after a short stint on the bench, finding her form very quickly in wing defence.
Despite moments of teething issues in attack, the defensive pressure continued to mount.
Meanwhile Watson continued to shine out the front as the Diamonds began to extend their lead once more.
Confidence was high coming into the final quarter as the Diamonds dug their heels in to slam home another 17-goal victory.
Sarah Klau and Cara Koenen got their first minutes of the series during the final 15 as the midcourt combination of Watson, Kate Moloney and Price continued to motor ahead.
The Diamonds will head across the ditch for the next two tests, set to play in Hamilton on Sunday and Christchurch the following Wednesday.
