NSL Rd 2: SURREY STORM v LONDON PULSE – MATCH PREVIEW
By Paul Prenderville
Who – Surrey Storm
When – Saturday February 24, 18:00pm
Where – Surrey Sports Park, Guildford
London Pulse return to action against Surrey Storm on Saturday evening as Round 2 of the Netball Superleague season takes them to Guildford with both teams seeking their first win of the 2024 campaign.
A tough start to the season features matches against the three other teams that made the final four in 2023, and before returning to the Copper Box to face Loughborough Lightning, it’s a repeat of last year’s semi-final where Pulse were memorably victorious against Storm..
After a disappointing defeat to Manchester Thunder at Season Opener in Nottingham, head coach Sam Bird vowed there would be a reaction from her squad in training and she has been delighted with the players’ response.
“It was not the start we wanted, but you have to expect every game to be a challenge, Thunder played really well and as we said after the game we made errors in how we came after the ball – so that’s been the focus in training this week.
“We looked at some extra defensive pressure which sounds a bit silly given that we won so much ball at the weekend, but there is always room for improvement with the outstanding talent we have.
“Training has gone well, we’ve had a lot of analysis, we’ve been able to reflect on what we did in the game, the girls have been in the gym and we’ve had a strong session looking ahead to Storm.
“I think the girls were hurt by the manner of the performance we put out and will be looking to rectify those things with a strong performance on Saturday. There was no panic, no-one really worrying about it, it was more ‘let’s get back at it, fix up what we need to fix up and put that into practice’ in training.”
Sam Bird
Both teams were beaten at the Motorpoint Arena, so take to the court at Surrey Sports Park with sights firmly set on a first victory of the season. Neither team will want to go into Round 3 with no points on the board, so there is early pressure.
Storm represent a different challenge to the team Pulse faced in the last four last season, with Layla Guscoth, Leah Middleton and Yasmin Brookes among the notable departures. A season-ending injury to Amy Flanagan was a desperately unfortunate blow to Mikki Austin’s squad in Round 1 but the potential return of Proscovia Peace will test the Pulse rearguard.
Bird is under no illusions about what to expect and had words of sympathy following Flangan’s injury.
“The bad news of Amy and her Achilles injury is really sad, it doesn’t matter what club you play for, as coaches and players we have sympathy for those major injuries.
“We played them in a friendly recently, so we have got some good updated analysis, but I think Storm will feel a little bit like they have got nothing to lose and play free which makes them very dangerous.
“It can allow them to thread plays together, get into a good rhythm and we will not underestimate the challenge. They play a fluid style of netball and Mikki is experienced in the middle.
“We will focus on what we did well at the weekend, which was win a lot of ball and reward that with our transition.”
Just a handful of sessions together mean at this early stage training is just as valuable as court time despite the need for points, the structures and combinations will have benefited from another week on the training court. Saturday also saw Jeresia McEachrane, Nicole Taljaard, Brie Grierson and Isabella Phillips all given court time.
Jade Clarke came off at the end of the first quarter, and Bird has confirmed she is available for selection, but will be managed through the early weeks of the season.
“We are looking after Jade, she is such a valuable player and she is still making her way back to full fitness. We want to make sure she is around for us through the season and when she is fully fit we will have her across the court as much as we can.
“She is not quite there yet, but she is in the squad and will feature. Everyone is fit and raring to go.”
There were also plenty of positives to take in defeat, not least the defensive display against Thunder and the attitude shown by the players.
Bird told us ahead of the season, they were not ashamed to say they wanted to win, and that message has been reinforced as a return to winning ways is top of the agenda for Round 2.
“We know we do a lot of things well, and fixing up a couple of things will make a big difference to our performance.
“We have outstanding players and I am pleased with their approach to managing the loss and how they have come into training. I am sure the girls will put out a much stronger performance this weekend.”
THE OPPONENTS – SURREY STORM
Head Coach: Mikki Austin
Last Season: 4th (lost v London Pulse in semi-final)
Last Time Out – Lost 50-63 v Loughborough Lightning, Season Opener
History – Founder members of the NSL, having played in the competition every year since it began in 2005-06 – starting out as the Brunel Hurricanes and becoming Surrey Storm for the 2009-10 season. Reached five finals between 2011 and 2016, wrapping up their first titles when they went back-to-back under Tamsin Greenway in 2015 and 2016.
Returned to the top four in 2023, the first time they had reached the play-offs since 2016 and they were beaten by London Pulse.
New for 2024 – With Layla Guscoth and Yasmin Brookes taking a year out, a busy offseason saw the eye-catching arrivals of Haniisha Muhameed and Beth Dix, alongside four more recruits in the shape of Leah Goss, Anya Wood, Rachael Fee and Amy Howell. Ugandan defender Muhameed promises to bring star quality to the defensive end, while Fee offers NSL experience having arrived from Severn Stars. Wood returns from a break and Goss is back having last featured for Wasps. Howell is playing in her first Superleague season having previously been in the British Army.
Last Time Out – Lost 63-50 v Loughborough Lightning. Starting Seven: GK – Muhameed, GD – Fee; WD – Flanagan; C – Austin; WA – Dix; GA – Drakeford-Lewis; GS – Wells.
Squad – Haniisha Muhameed, Anya Wood, Rachael Fee, Amy Howell, Leah Goss, Mikki Austin, Beth Dix, Ellie Gibbons, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Frankie Wells, Proscovia Peace.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played – 10; Surrey Storm – 3; London Pulse – 7.
There is never a dull moment when these two meet, with thrilling knife-edge matches almost a guarantee since Pulse entered the NSL in 2019 – Pulse have won the last six after. The most high profile came less than a year ago, when the two clashed in the Superleague semi-final, Pulse coming away with their biggest ever win over Storm to seal a place in the Grand Final.
Last 5 meetings
NSL Semi-Final, 2023 – London Pulse 55-42 Surrey Storm
Round 14, 2023 – Surrey Storm 50-59 London Pulse
Round 5, 2023 – London Pulse 52-47 Surrey Storm
Round 19, 2022 – Surrey Storm 38-45 London Pulse
Round 7, 2022 – London Pulse 56-50 Surrey Storm