NSL RD 4: TEAM BATH vs LONDON PULSE – MATCH PREVIEW
Who – Team Bath
When – Friday March 8, 19:30pm
Where – Team Bath Arena, University of Bath
London Pulse are back on the road as Round 4 of the Netball Superleague takes Sam Bird and her squad to Team Bath looking to extend their winning run.
Last Saturday’s exhilarating 53-52 win over last season’s champions Loughborough Lightning has given the squad a benchmark for what they can do this season, according to Goal Keeper Halimat Adio.
That triumph in front of a record crowd at the Copper Box followed victory over Surrey Storm in Round 2, and a win at Team Bath Arena on Friday night would make it three in a row.
Having played each of their fellow top four finishers from 2023 in the opening three weeks of the season, the next rounds of action represent a different challenge for the Pulse squad.
Team Bath are first up, and they are followed by surprise early season table toppers Severn Stars before Leeds Rhinos and Cardiff Dragons close out the first seven weeks of the season.
Head coach Bird is all too aware that the focus remains the same after emerging from a testing run with six points from a possible nine.
“That’s now a little block done, and we look ahead to see what we can create against different opposition,” Bird told us.
“There are quite a few teams that we have seen that have made lots of changes when they have played, so it may not always be easy for us to know exactly what we are up against.
“For us it’s about improving again, we made some silly errors so we will tighten those up but we have to be pleased.”
In contrast to Pulse, Bath have suffered two successive defeats since a victory in Nottingham. After starting the season with a 53-49 win over Strathclyde Sirens, defeats to Loughborough and Severn Stars have followed – conceding more than 70 goals in each game.
Asha Francis’ young squad has been rotated heavily so far, but a red hot Olivia Tchine knows she will come up against fellow England international and former Pulse athlete Jayda Pechova. Meanwhile a talented young attack end will keep the in-form Pulse defence on their toes.
“With the defence you genuinely know they are going to win ball,” Bird said on her formidable defensive end’s start to the season.
“The opposition may get four in, they may get five in but you know that Funmi and Hali – with the pressure from outside – are going to win the ball.
“Netball is a possession game, the team in possession should be scoring. If we know we are getting closer and closer to breaking that down, that is testament to the whole defensive unit.”
The Pulse coach faces an interesting challenge in how to balance the squad in the weeks ahead.
Jade Clarke continues to be eased back into action, but it remains a full squad to select from and after all 12 players saw court time over first couple of weeks of the season, the starting seven played out the full 60 minutes against Lightning.
Given the intensity of that contest, and familiarity with the opposition, it was no surprise to see changes kept to a minimum from both sides.
“We’ve only played seven today [v Loughborough] but we have lots of quality to come from the bench.
New recruits Jeresia McEachrane, Nichole Taljaard, Brie Grierson and teenager Darcie Everitt have already shown the impact they are likely to have over the course of a long season and the intensity of training has driven the standards so far.
THE OPPONENTS – TEAM BATH NETBALL
Head Coach: Asha Francis
Last Season: 9th (W4 D0 L14 F951 A1184 Pts 12)
Last Time Out – Lost 44-72 v Severn Stars (H), Round 3
History – Have been the Superleague benchmark ever since becoming founder members in 2005-06. A production line that has produced a who’s who of Superleague and England Roses netball stars has also brought five Superleague titles – more than any other team.
Won their first in 2006 with a squad featuring Pamela Cookey, Rachel Dunn, Stacy Francis, Tamsin Greenway, Geva Mentor and current Roses coach Jess Thirlby.
After winning four of the first five competitions they last won the title in 2013 – under the guidance of Thirlby. Missed out on the top four in 2023 for the first time since 2015.
New for 2024 – Have undergone significant changes in each of the last two signing periods, and have done so again for this season with three international arrivals. Talented Scottish Thistles shooter Emma Barrie made the move from Sirens, while Sloane Burton has settled quickly having arrived from West Coast Fever and New Zealand’s Lisa Putt brings experience to the defensive end. As ever the Bath youth system keeps rolling, Ellie Ervine joined the squad for the first time while Phoebe Maslen has stepped up from a Training Partner role last season.
One to Watch – It’s to defence we turn for the player making an early impression, again. Jayda Pechova is a familiar face to the Pulse staff having come through the Pulse Pathway system. Now at university in Bath, she has been hugely impressive over the last two seasons in the Bath defence. So far in 2024 she trails just Funmi Fadoju and Alice Harvey in Gains with 15, and also has five interceptions for the season as well. After finishing top five in both categories last year, she is undoubtedly one of the hugely talented crop of Goal Keepers in the England Roses reckoning.
Last Time Out – Lost 44-72 v Severn Stars (Home). Starting Seven: GK – Pechova; GD – Pavelin; WD – Ervine; C – Maslen; WA – Dyke; GA – Kelly; GS – Burton.
Squad – Jayda Pechova, Tash Pavelin, Lisa Putt, Lily-May Catling, Phoebe Maslen, Ellie Ervine, Bethan Dyke, Kirsty Harris, Sophie Kelly, Sloane Burton, Kadeen Corbin, Emma Barrie.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played – 9; Team Bath – 6. London Pulse – 3.
Pulse completed a first ever NSL double over Team Bath in 2023, racking up more than 70 goals in wins during Round 12 and Round 2.
After losing their first four matches against the Blue and Gold, Pulse have had the upper hand recently with three wins coming in the last five match-ups.
The only non regular season game came in 2022 when Bath claimed third place after both teams suffered semi-final defeat in the play-offs.
Last 5 meetings
Round 12, 2023 – Team Bath 48-70 London Pulse
Round 2, 2023 – London Pulse 72-42 Team Bath
3rd Place, 2022 – Team Bath 36-32 London Pulse
Round 12, 2022 – Team Bath 62-41 London Pulse
Round 2, 2022 – London Pulse 52-48 Team Bath
Round 4 Fixtures
Friday, 7.30pm – Severn Stars v Manchester Thunder – live on Sky Sports YouTube
Saturday, 3pm – Leeds Rhinos v Strathclyde Sirens
Saturday, 6pm – Surrey Storm v Cardiff Dragons – live on BBC iPlayer
Sunday, 4pm – Saracens Mavericks v Loughborough Lightning
Tickets are available here for all London Pulse home games in 2024.