Top-of-table clash pits Pulse's defence against attacking Steel

Mid-season games do not get much bigger than this.

There are any number of storylines you could attribute to the Southern Steel's match against the Central Pulse in Wellington tonight.

It is the top-of-the-table clash and the Steel's toughest outing of the season.

The Pulse is unbeaten with four wins, while the Steel has won four comprehensively after dropping its first. It pits the Pulse's defensive grit against the Steel's attacking flair.

And of course it is the first meeting between the sides since the Steel stole last year's grand final from the Pulse in the final seconds.

While the final may not be such a factor for the team, the other points were not lost on Steel co-captain Gina Crampton.

"It's going to be one of our toughest games so far," she said.

"They're pretty stacked all throughout the court and have been doing really well, so it's going to be an interesting game."

The battle of the Steel attack against the Pulse defence will be an intriguing one. Navigating the duo of Katrina Rore and Sulu Fitzpatrick is no easy task, especially given the intensity with which the Pulse midcourt plays.

After a 71-40 loss in the middle of last season, the Steel eventually figured out how to penetrate that defence.

However, with a new shooter in the mix in Lenize Potgieter, its style has changed since then.

The Steel has looked comfortable in recent matches playing with her, although tonight will be a true test of where it is at.

"We're definitely going to have to try to play a wee bit shorter," Crampton said.

"I think we do like to play with length and width - potentially the Pulse will hunt those balls down.

"So we're going to have to keep it short and controlled for the first wee bit until we think maybe we could open it up.

"But really making sure we hit the circle edge is going to be really crucial and because they're so tight our timing will change as well."

Physicality has been a hallmark of the Pulse in recent years. That was something which unsettled the Steel at times last year.

Crampton said it was something that had to be expected.

"Especially with the way the game's heading these days, a lot more contesting is allowed.

"So I think we have to be really strong and be looking after each other and the balls we're giving each other.

"Take your body 100% into it because if you want to win the contest you have to put your body on the line really.

"They have strength all throughout their line-up and their bench as well, so we're going to have to be on top of our game."

The Mainland Tactix secured a hard-fought 52-48 win in Nelson yesterday to consign the Northern Mystics to a fifth straight loss.

In the Beko League, the Southern Blast had its first loss of the season when Waikato Bay of Plenty beat it 61-36 in Dunedin yesterday.

 

 

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