Geva Mentor: How bloody exciting would it be if we do the job on Australia

England goal keeper Geva Mentor is relishing the prospect of shaking up netball’s well-established world order on the eve of the hosts’ Commonwealth Games rematch against Australia at the NEC in Birmingham on Saturday.

Mentor and her team-mates head into the unexpected semi-final showdown on a high after thumping world champions New Zealand 54-44 on Thursday, after Jamaica had upset the odds to sink the Australians and claim top spot in Group A.

The result means England and Australia will reprise their thrilling Gold Coast showdown one match earlier than expected, with the prize at stake a place in the final that had proved the sole preserve of the Oceania nations until the famous win four years ago.

The opportunity to make more history is not lost on 37-year-old Mentor, who is playing in her record sixth Commonwealth Games, and whose success in stifling New Zealand goal shooter Grace Nweke – 17 years her junior – on Thursday played a pivotal part in her team’s success.

“How bloody exciting would it be if we do the job on Australia on Saturday, and Jamaica beat New Zealand,” said Mentor.

“It would be a final we have never seen before, and it would be really exciting and refreshing for world netball.”

England have built slowly through the tournament but delivered in style against the Silver Ferns, who pipped them in the semi-finals of the last World Cup in Liverpool in 2019.

But she warned against any complacency against the Australians, who blew a six-point final-quarter advantage to crash to a shock defeat.

“I know how hard Australia will review their game, and I expect them to be licking their wounds and focusing on how they can break us down,” added Mentor.

“We were training while their game was going on and we didn’t