Top teams focused for Brutal Playoffs

DURBAN (18 May 2016) – The Flames and Jaguars will keep a close eye on this weekend’s Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League action in Durban where their respective semi-final opponents will be decided.

Michael Vlismas – After an intense round of matches in Pretoria and Johannesburg, the league now shifts to the Olive Convention Centre for the quarterfinals and placing matches.

And it will be on Saturday’s two biggest matches that the Flames and Jaguars will have their focus.

The winner of the 12:00 match between the Western Cape Southern Stings and the KwaZulu-Natal Kingdom Stars will face the Flames in the semi-finals next weekend.

And the winner of the 16:00 encounter between the Free State Crinums and the Gauteng Golden Fireballs will face the Jaguars in the second semi-final that weekend.

Although they have this weekend off as they wait to see who their semi-final opponents will be, Flames coach Dorette Badenhorst and Jaguars coach Jenny van Dyk remain as focused as ever about the job awaiting them in the Playoffs.

“Look, we all know the competition is only really starting now,” says Badenhorst. “It doesn’t really matter to us who we play in the semis. No matter who you play, if you lose now you’re out. So it’s really important that we prepare well for any team because the semi-finals are going to be hard.”

Van Dyk is equally pragmatic about the job facing her Jaguars, and the possibility of a semi-final against a Crinums team that could once again derail their plans. After a slow start the Crinums have found their form and are one of the danger teams in the quarters. They’re also the team that has beaten the Jaguars in the last two Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League finals.

“It’s that time of the league when all the fancy netball goes out the window and it’s back to the basic netball that wins you Playoff matches,” says Van Dyk.

“We started the league a bit slower this year. In the past two years we started well and then just didn’t make it in the final. So this year we changed our plans a bit and I think we’re getting our rhythm just in time for the playoffs. We’ll be ready for the semi-finals, whoever we play.”

Quarterfinals and Placing Matches Fixtures (Olive Convention Centre, Durban):

20 May

18:00 – Sunbirds (9^th) v Baobabs (10^th)

20:00 – Diamonds (8^th) v Aloes (7^th)

21 May

12:00 – Southern Stings (3^rd) v Kingdom Stars (6^th) (M1)

14:00 – Aloes (7^th) v Sunbirds (9^th)

16:00 – Crinums (4^th) v Fireballs (5^th) (M2)

18:00 – Diamonds (8^th) v Baobabs (10^th)

22 May

10:30 – Aloes (7^th) v Baobabs (10^th)

12:30 – Diamonds (8^th) v Sunbirds (9^th)