NSL 2024: Rd 7 CARDIFF DRAGONS v LONDON PULSE – MATCH PREVIEW
Who – Cardiff Dragons
When – Saturday March 30, 6.30pm – live on BBC iPlayer
Where – House of Sport, Cardiff
London Pulse travel to South Wales on Saturday, knowing a win against Cardiff Dragons is all important in what is shaping up to be an epic race for the top four this season.
Pulse are fourth in the Superleague table after six rounds of action, that’s just three points away from top of the table Thunder & Lightning, level with third-placed Severn Stars and only three clear of seventh placed Surrey Storm.
Boosted by a narrow, and sometimes scrappy, win over Leeds Rhinos, Pulse hit the road for an Easter showdown with a Dragons team hitting form and sitting just two points behind Stars and Pulse – with improvement still to be made, according to Bird.
“Our error count is still a little too high, so this week we have looked very closely at maintaining possession under different types of pressure and seeing how players react and use other options on the court.
“It’s been quite an attack focus this week, and we travel on Friday so we’ve got a couple more sessions to go which will be reinforcing structures.
“The players have got it in their mind that they have to look after the ball, and now we will see how that plays out.”
Three wins from their last four games, including an epic 48-46 victory over high-flying Stars last time out, means the Welsh side won’t be underestimated by Bird and her squad.
Following a summer overhaul, and confirmation of Australian head coach Jill McIntosh remaining in place – there is an identity and a clear gameplan that Bird is prepared for.
“They are probably the strongest Dragons team for at least five or six years. Jill [McIntosh] has come in and there are a couple of Australian defenders who have come in – Jacqui [Newton], Elle [McDonald], Leah Middleton – and they’ve clicked in a man-to-man style.
“They are good with ball in hand, play simple, clean lines and are really hard to break down but the defensive pressure we bring as a whole team can give them a real test.”
Since defeat in Nottingham at Season Opener, Pulse can take plenty of heart from their form on the road with three wins from their three away games and Saturday’s game is the last action on the road before a run of three successive home games.
Sirens, Mavericks and Team Bath follow in the weeks ahead and Bird is keen to ensure the squad take a strong run of form into those games.
“We have got a great squad who should take a lot of confidence that they are a really skilful group.
“You can’t get away from the fact we had our tough games at the start of the season and we need to continue to trust each other going into the next game.
“In theory the teams we are now playing are below us, and I would like to think if we go in with the right mentality to disrupt Dragons and then be a little bit less wasteful then we should put out a good performance.”
As far as injuries are concerned, Jada Autumn came into the squad for the win over Rhinos, and made her NSL debut in the absence of Jade Clarke who is managing an ankle injury.
It means Jada Autumn keeps her place in the squad and Bird has no worries about throwing on another product from the Pulse Pathway.
“She is a great tracker and she’s got exceptional elevation – as a ‘middie’ she can play across all three positions.
“She is also fast across the ground and is difficult to break away from and that ability to win ball fits in with our identity as a club.
“She was a little terrified when we threw her in for the Leeds game but it’s a good way of showing the jump between NPL and Superleague – because there are so many more external factors.
“The more minutes she gets the more she is going to show her real strength.”
NEXT FIVE FIXTURES
Round 8 – Strathclyde Sirens, Home (live on BBC iPlayer)
Round 9 – Saracens Mavericks, Home
Round 10 – Team Bath Netball, Home
Round 11 – Severn Stars, Away (live on BBC iPlayer)
Round 12 – Leeds Rhinos, Home
THE OPPONENTS – CARDIFF DRAGONS
Head Coach: Jill McIntosh
Last Season: 10th (W2 D1 L15 F861 A1033 Pts 17)
Form (last 6 games): D L W L W W
HISTORY
In August 2023, Dragons announced a switch from their founding name of Celtic Dragons to Cardiff, citing their years of training and playing their home games in the city as their reason.
One of the eight founding members of the competition in 2005, they have reached one final, losing 62-56 against Team Bath after finishing second in the table – still their best ever finish.
Appointed two-time World Cup-winning coach Jill McIntosh at the end of the 2023 season, and she oversaw a huge summer of recruitment as Dragons chase a return to the play-offs.
STORY SO FAR
Strap yourselves in, a new-look Dragons team have been involved in a number of close games. Nine goals is the biggest margin of victory or defeat they have recorded, while Jill McIntosh’s team have made themselves the masters of the narrow victory.
Won by one away at Leeds Rhinos in Round 3, and in Round 6 won by two against Severn Stars. All this after a draw at Season Opener against Mavericks – still the only draw of the Superleague season so far.
Hannah Passmore has made a great start to life in Wales, her 170 goals put her in the top five, while Australian import Jacqui Newton has 10 interceptions to sit in the league’s top three.
Last Time Out – Won 48-46 v Severn Stars (Home).
Starting Seven: GK – Middleton; GD – Newton; WD – Jones; C – McDonald; WA – Chawane; GA – Yarranton; GS – Rowe.
Squad – Leah Middleton, Nansi Kuti, Lucy Howells, Jacqui Newton, Nia Jones, Elle McDonald, Beth Ecuyer-Dale, Kanyisa Chawane, Laura Rudland, Phillipa Yarranton, Hannah Passmore, Georgia Rowe.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played – 9; Cardiff Dragons – 2; London Pulse – 7.
After losing both meetings against the Welsh franchise in their debut 2019 season, London Pulse have won all seven games to take place between the teams since.
The 2023 season was a third successive NSL ‘double’ for Sam Bird’s team – including a 71-53 win in South Wales.
Last 5 meetings
Round 18, 2023 – Cardiff Dragons 53-71 London Pulse
Round 8, 2023 – London Pulse 52-37 Cardiff Dragons
Round 15 2022 – Cardiff Dragons 49-52 London Pulse
Round 5, 2022 – London Pulse 50-37 Cardiff Dragons
Round 17, 2021 – Cardiff Dragons 30-51 London Pulse
Round 7 Fixtures
Friday, 4pm – Saracens Mavericks v Severn Stars
Friday, 7.30pm – Strathclyde Sirens v Loughborough Lightning – Live on Sky Sports YouTube
Friday, 7.30pm – Leeds Rhinos v Surrey Storm
Saturday, 5pm – Manchester Thunder v Team Bath
Pulse are next back in action at home, when they face Strathclyde Sirens In Round 8 at the Copper Box, tickets are available for all London Pulse home games in 2024.