England were beaten 68-50 by Australia in the Commonwealth Games bronze-medal match after missing out on the final with a semi-final defeat by New Zealand. Anna Stembridge's side, who had been trying to recover from Saturday morning's 61-54 loss to the Silver Ferns, were unable to keep pace with the world number one side in the playoff on Sunday.
How did Australia respond after their shock loss?
Australia arrived at the bronze-medal match after one of the biggest shocks in the tournament's history, having been stunned by Jamaica on Saturday afternoon. That result left the Diamonds with less time to recover than England, but they produced a powerful response to avoid an unexpected finish outside the medal places.
The crowd responded to a lively start as great pressure from Roses captain Fran Williams led to Australia shooter Kiera Austin missing a shot with the score at 5-5, and Liv Tchine neatly slotted the ball in to open up a lead at the other end. England worked hard to shut down the Diamonds' forward-passing options, forcing them to play sideways, but the team in green and gold found their rhythm with devastating consequences.
Australia overturned a 9-7 deficit to lead 19-11 in a bruising seven-minute first-quarter spell for the Roses. England, who lost 66-47 to the same opponents in the pool stage, then lacked impetus in the second period, showing signs of tired legs against one of the world's most established shooting partnerships in Austin and Sophie Garbin.
A loose pass from Williams sent the ball straight into Australia hands, allowing Austin to calmly extend the gap to 28-16 and her side kept the margin steady, resulting in a half-time score of 35-24.
Why could England not close the gap?
England improved briefly after the break but were unable to sustain pressure against an experienced Australia side. With Australia leading by 16 points in the third quarter, England rolled the dice by bringing on shooter Eleanor Cardwell for Tchine, and her presence helped the Roses score five without reply to trail 45-34 and then 49-36 with 15 minutes left to play.
Cardwell's introduction gave England a lift, but Australia remained in control and went on to win by 18 goals. The result left England again short against a top side, losing by one fewer point than the pool-stage match between the teams.
Bronze is not a colour of medal that Australia ever imagined they would be playing for, but what seemed just as important to them was reminding the world what they are capable of and why they have been such feared opponents. In that respect, Stacey Marinkovich's Diamonds shone as ultimate professionals.
What does the result mean for the rest of the competition?
England finished the tournament without a medal, while Australia recovered from their semi-final shock to take bronze. Jamaica will play two-time champions New Zealand in Sunday's gold-medal match at 13:00, with New Zealand aiming for Commonwealth gold for the first time since 2014 and their first title since the 2010 Games.
England had been looking to add to their only Commonwealth Games final appearance in 2018, when they won gold, but the Roses missed out on a place in the gold-medal match after a 61-54 semi-final defeat by a powerful New Zealand side. New Zealand passed the ball with great speed and accuracy early on, but England rallied to settle their nerves, with goal shooter Liv Tchine drawing the match level at 3-3.
But the prowess of the Silver Ferns and their height advantage through shooter Grace Nweke was too strong as they hit double figures with eight minutes played and held a 16-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Bringing on Eleanor Cardwell in place of Tchine towards the end of that quarter gave the Roses a lift, as they upped their intensity in the second period to close the deficit to 25-21.
After scoring 23 goals from 23 shots, Nweke missed just before half-time to leave the two-time winners leading 29-24, with hope remaining for a comeback for Anna Stembridge's side.
England had moments of great defensive pressure, but were not as consistent at turning possession into goals, allowing the Silver Ferns to stretch the gap to nine points with 15 minutes left to play. The damage was done by the time the Roses fought to close the gap to seven at the finish, and they will now need to lift themselves for Sunday's bronze-medal match at 09:00 BST.
In reaching the final at 13:00, New Zealand will fight for Commonwealth gold for the first time since 2014, while they have not won the title since the 2010 Games. Australia v Jamaica - Saturday, 1 August (13:00 BST).
Key Facts
- England lost 61-54 to New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games semi-final.
- England then lost 68-50 to Australia in the bronze-medal match.
- England's only previous Commonwealth Games final appearance came in 2018, when they won gold.
- Australia were stunned by Jamaica in the semi-finals before responding to beat England for bronze.
- Jamaica will face New Zealand in Sunday's gold-medal match at 13:00.
