The outcome of today's trans-Tasman netball league match in Hamilton was so predictable the two teams could have packed their bags and agreed the result before the tipoff.
The only uncertainty was the final scoreline, which ended up 59-36 in favour of Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, New Zealand's glamour team in the ANZ Championship, over Central Pulse.
It represented the Magic's fifth win from six matches and the Pulse's sixth successive loss this season, maintaining their imperfect record after they failed to win a match during the inaugural competition in 2008.
Without key defender Althea Byfield, who was unavailable due to concussion, the Pulse at least stayed with the international-laden Magic for the first quarter.
But from 11-11, the Wellington-based team lost the second quarter 7-19 as Silver Ferns midcourter Laura Langman began running rings around the visitors.
After twice being called for stepping early on, Langman stepped up a gear in the second stanza, the wing attack feeding her international shooters Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia with quality ball to enable the Magic to pull clear.
There was good news during the halftime break for the Pulse, with Langman decided to stay courtside for the third quarter to overcome a head knock sustained in a collision shortly before the interval.
In Langman's absence the match lost its shape, with the Magic seemingly dragged down to the Pulse's level. It did not make for pretty viewing and despite being below their best during this period the hosts were never threatened and their advantage grew to 14 goals entering the closing stanza.
Langman, 23, is on her way to becoming a world class centre or wing attack, and her reappearance for the final 15 minutes saw the Magic clean up their act.
With the competition points theirs, the Magic took the opportunity to rest goal Tutaia in the latter stages, giving court time to ...
Pulse coach Yvette McCausland-Durie, a first year rookie at this level, also changed her lineup but her rationale was entirely different because she was already looking ahead to her team's next fixture.
Magic skipper Joline Henry said the scoreline gave no hint as to how hard the Pulse fought on the court.
"It was good to build and build and build although we were probably guilty on not putting the pedal to the metal," Henry said.
"We knew we were going to have to grind and as a team we don't like doing that; we like to be able to play free flowing netball straight away." Pulse captain Cushla Lichtwark said she was pleased with her team's performance in the first and third quarters.
"We got enough ball by slowing them up, forcing errors and putting them off their rhythm." Lichtwark said she considered the Magic had more improvement in them, but that applied to her side as well.
