The Proteas netball side reigned supreme at the Diamond Challenge at the Tuks Sports Centre when they defeated a spirited Scotland 54-36 in Saturday's final.The Proteas and the Scottish Thistles exchanged goal for goal in the first quarter, with the Proteas winning the first quarter 10-8.
Five minutes into the second quarter, the Thistles drew level on 13-all and then went into the lead for the first time. They maintained the lead for much of the quarter before a flurry of goals saw the Proteas claw their way back into the lead ahead again, for a half-time score of 23-12.The Proteas maintained their lead in the third quarter, but in the final quarter they outscored the Thistles 19-12.It was a fast-paced match, with both sides achieving a number of turnovers, although there were also a number of handling errors on both sides."I wanted to see how the younger players reacted to pressure," said South Africa coach Norma Plummer."I was quite pleased with the way they responded, but I brought senior players on after the break and the team started working like a machine. "The structures are in place and they are beginning to work.
But this is not the World Cup and we still have work to do."Plummer said the players would attend an intensive training camp in Stellenbosch after a short break."I will bring some of the players from the President's XII into that camp to work with them," said Plummer.Plummer outlined a training programme that included taking players who were not contracted to overseas clubs to play against Australian Netball League teams in Melbourne.