By Hannah Blackwell
Wales will return from the Netball World Cup as the ninth best team at the tournament after a gutsy and deserved victory over Scotland.
The Welsh Feathers overcame Scotland in the clash to decide ninth and 10th placings in South Africa, leaving captain Nia Jones proud of their achievements.
Shooters Georgia Rowe and Phillipa Yarranton put in impressive displays as the Scots were beaten, 57-42.
Jones said: “Full credit to Scotland, we played them a few times over the last couple of years and it is always super competitive.
“We are two really evenly matched teams and it is about who performs better on the day to take it.
“I’m proud of how we turned the screw in that second half.”
Feathers finish flying 🪶
Wales defeat Scotland 57-42 to claim ninth place 👏#NWC2023 | @WalesNetball_ pic.twitter.com/GYhDwR8vnO
— World Netball (@WorldNetball_) August 5, 2023
In their 11th meeting at a Netball World Cup, Wales ensured they now lead in the head-to-head encounters with a sixth victory against Scotland.
The first quarter was a neck-and-neck battle, as both sides exchanged quick passes and strong feeds into their respective goal circles.
While the Feathers’ shooting pair of Rowe and Yarranton were successful with all of their attempts, Beth Goodwin and Niamh McCall missed six shots between the two of them for the Thistles.
The Feathers also enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening minutes, handing them a 12-10 lead after the first 15 minutes.
As the game progressed into the second quarter, Wales continued to gain momentum, with clever interceptions and strategic transitions.
Twinkle toes ✨
Phillipa Yarranton just keeps the ball in as Wales take a 42-32 lead into the final quarter 🏴#NWC2023 | @WalesNetball_ pic.twitter.com/Rzt5W8pF1q
— World Netball (@WorldNetball_) August 5, 2023
Rowe and Yarranton continued where they left off, only missing one shot at goal while Goodwin and McCall again struggled to find the net letting four valuable goals go astray.
The pressure put on them by defenders Ella Powell-Davies and Christina Shaw was clearly having an effect. At half-time, Wales had stretched their lead to four goals (25-21).
Wales took to the court at the start of the third quarter with the same seven players that started the match.
For Scotland there were a handful of changes in an attempt to swing the match in their favour. It didn’t seem to have the desired effect, though, as Wales stretched their lead to a healthy 10-point gap (42-32).
The Feathers kept the intensity up in the final 15 minutes of the match, forcing the Thistles to play catch-up.
With the gap opening up to 11 points with seven minutes left on the clock, it proved to be an insurmountable task.
Wales drove the ball down court to their goal circle with Rowe and Yarranton sinking shot after shot to secure the victory.