By Charlie McKay
The Origin Australian Diamonds have drawn first blood in the 2025 Constellation Cup, overpowering the New Zealand Silver Ferns 69-52 in a thrilling Friday night battle in Melbourne.
Determined to flip the script after last year’s 1-3 series loss, the Diamonds have made a confident start to their 2025 Constellation Cup campaign.
The result marks the Diamonds' highest ever score against the Silver Ferns across 173 matches.
It was a full-circle moment for the Diamonds in front of a sold-out John Cain Arena – their only win against the Silver Ferns in last year’s series also came on Melbourne soil.
Both sides entered the clash riding high after clean-sweep test series wins over the South Africa Proteas, setting the stage for a fiery opener.
It’s been a turbulent year for the Silver Ferns, with the shock departure of long-time coach Dame Noeline Taurua and captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio stepping away from the game. Friday’s result marked interim head coach Yvette McCausland-Durie’s first loss at the helm.
It was a tense opening quarter, with neither side able to find its rhythm. Courtney Bruce built on stellar form, picking up four gains in the first 15 minutes alone.
But it wasn’t enough to give the Diamonds the upper hand, and the teams went into the first break locked at 13-all.
The Diamonds will head to Sydney for test 2The home side found their rhythm in the second quarter, surging ahead to a five-goal lead.
Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin showcased their well-polished connection, while Melbourne favourite and skipper Liz Watson steered the attack.
But the Silver Ferns refused to fade, clawing their way back into the contest to trail 28–30 at half-time.
The Diamonds shifted gears in the third, bursting out to a nine-goal lead before a wave of Silver Ferns changes sparked a late surge, cutting the margin to four at the final break.
But it didn’t take long for the Diamonds to restore their buffer, racing to a game-high lead early in the final term.
A dominant 24-11 quarter underscored a clinical display from the World Champions, led by standout performances from Bruce, Sophie Garbin and Kate Moloney.
"They kept coming hard at us, but I’m really proud of how we ran it out in the end," said Moloney, who was named as the Player of the Match.
“We’ve been on a build ever since [last year]," said Diamonds head coach Stacey Marinkovich.
"We’ve worked on our connection and our culture.
"I think you saw things out there that you’ve never seen before.”
