Former Wales international Anna Stembridge is plotting the downfall of Celtic Dragons in the Vitality Netball Superleague this weekend.
Cardiff-based Stembridge, who played for Wales in the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games plus the 2007 World Championships, are at home against Dragons, is now head coach at Team Bath.
They are at home against Celtic Dragons on Saturday and Stembridge says: “We beat Dragons 58-41 at Super Ten on the opening day of the season, but they will be a different proposition.
“Bethan Dyke is back for them after injury, which makes a big difference. They have had some good results and performances.
“I was at Dragons’ game against Loughborough Lightning last weekend and, while the result didn’t go their way, they played well and we will have to be on our game.
“Hopefully, we will be able to produce that consistent performance across 60 minutes that we have been looking for.”
Stembridge, a senior Lecturer in sports coaching and sport psychology at Cardiff Met University, is in her second spell coaching Bath, having been in charge of the England team between 2011 and 2015.
Team Bath, five-times national champions, were led by Stembridge from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2016 up to date.
Their match against Celtic Dragons at home on Saturday (5pm centre-pass)is the first of three Superleague matches in nine days at Team Bath Arena, followed by Strathclyde Sirens on Friday, March 22 (7.30pm) and Severn Stars in a rearranged fixture on Monday, March 25 (7pm).
“It’s a good run of games and we can’t wait to have the home crowd behind us again,” says Stembridge.
“We have had such amazing support this season and the fans were absolutely critical in helping us see out the victory over Manchester Thunder in our last home match.”
Tickets for the matches against Dragons, Sirens and Stars are on sale now – visit netball.teambath.com/tickets for further details.
The next home fixture for Celtic Dragons is against London Pulse at Sport Wales National Centre, Cardiff on Monday, March 25. The match is close to being sold out.
Celtic Dragons TICKETS
Vitality Netball Superleague
Fixtures this weekend:
Saturday, March 16: Team Bath v Celtic Dragons (5pm), Surrey Storm v Strathclyde Sirens (6pm), Saracens Mavericks v Manchester Thunder (6pm), London Pulse (7pm).
Monday, March 18: Loughborough Lightning v Wasps (7pm – live on Sky Sports Television).
VITALITY SUPERLEAGUE 2019
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | + | – | +/- | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Wasps Netball | 9 | 8 | 1 | 542 | 426 | 116 | 1.27 | 24 |
| 2 | Saracens Mavericks | 9 | 7 | 2 | 555 | 412 | 143 | 1.35 | 21 |
| 3 | Manchester Thunder | 9 | 7 | 2 | 581 | 470 | 111 | 1.24 | 21 |
| 4 | Loughborough Lightning | 9 | 6 | 3 | 512 | 522 | -10 | 0.98 | 18 |
| 5 | Team Bath | 8 | 5 | 3 | 453 | 433 | 20 | 1.05 | 15 |
| 6 | Surrey Storm | 9 | 3 | 6 | 442 | 510 | -68 | 0.87 | 9 |
| 7 | Celtic Dragons | 9 | 3 | 6 | 449 | 524 | -75 | 0.86 | 9 |
| 8 | Severn Stars | 8 | 2 | 6 | 394 | 415 | -21 | 0.95 | 6 |
| 9 | Strathclyde Sirens | 9 | 2 | 7 | 410 | 512 | -102 | 0.80 | 6 |
| 10 | London Pulse | 9 | 1 | 8 | 439 | 553 | -114 | 0.79 | 3 |
Dragons results/fixtures 2019 – home games played at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
Celtic Dragons 41, Team Bath 58
January
Saturday 12 London Pulse 40, Celtic Dragons 67
Friday 25 Severn Stars 57, Celtic Dragons 40
February
Monday 4 Celtic Dragons 44, Saracens Mavericks 66
Friday 8 Strathclyde Sirens 46, Celtic Dragons 50
Monday 18 Celtic Dragons 46, Wasps 58
Monday 25 Celtic Dragons 56, Manchester Thunder 83
March
Saturday 2 Surrey Storm 46, Celtic Dragons 48
Saturday 9 Celtic Dragons 57, Loughborough Lightning 70
Saturday 16 v Team Bath (away, 5pm)
Monday 25 v London Pulse (home, 7pm)
Saturday 30 v Severn Stars (home, 4pm)
April
Saturday 6 v Manchester Storm (away, 5pm)
Saturday 3 v Strathclyde Sirens (home, 4pm)
Saturday 20 v Saracens Mavericks (away, midday)
Sunday 21 v Wasps (away, midday)
Saturday 27 v Surrey Storm (home 4pm)
May
Saturday 4 Loughborough Lightning v Celtic Dragons (6pm)