Rumbalara was at its scintillating best on Saturday afternoon, dismantling an in-form Tongala side 55-37 to all but secure its spot in the Murray Netball League A-grade top two come finals time.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Bouncing back from a heartbreaking three-goal loss to ladder-leader Deniliquin Rams last week, Rumba was on-point from start to finish in a performance that will without doubt put other leading contenders on notice.
Spawning from a dominant defensive performance, the Blues were not afforded an inch for the entire four quarters, with Paige Wade’s team unable to break through for that all-important top four scalp.
In what was its 14th win of the season, Rumbalara coach Jess Bamblett said she was incredibly pleased to see her team respond in such strong fashion.
“I am very happy with the way we bounced back after what was a heartbreaking loss against Deni last weekend,” Bamblett said.
“We were still feeling very confident heading into the game and I think our game style proved that.
“Cleaning up our ball movement going forward was a massive focus and I thought we did a great job of that and overall it was just pleasing to put together a solid performance against a top five side.”
Always pivotal when facing Tongala, shutting down star shooter Milly Brock was the main focus for Rumbalara heading into the game, as it looked to base the rest of its game off intense defensive pressure.
Bamblett said the girls took this challenge on board and delivered, with Brock’s limited influence critical to the overall triumph.
“Our defence was very good and I thought we shut down Milly Brock, who is a goal-scoring machine, very well which was pivotal to us getting on top,” she said.
“Once we managed to limit her influence and stop her supply the rest of our game kind of just flowed from there.
“Our shooting was on point, our attacking flow was on point and I feel we just got back to playing the style of netball that has given us plenty of success this season.”
As for which players shone on the day, Bamblett said it was incredibly hard to single out individuals, speaking to the complete nature of her team’s performance.
“It was hard to pinpoint any particular standouts as it was just a complete team performance,” she said.
“Magi (Hollis) and Tash (Atkinson) had a great connection in the goal circle which was awesome to see — but overall everyone played their part.”
Now set to enjoy a weekend off, Bamblett said this win was vital to her team’s preparations leading into the finals series.
“That win was super important for us and locking in that place in the top two,” she said.
“We knew Tonny were going to be desperate to win and to their credit they threw everything at us with the final score probably not a great indicator of how the game was played.
“So for us to be able to absorb that pressure and then pull away it puts us in great stead leading into finals.”
Around the courts, Deniliquin Rams made it 16 wins on the trot, easily accounting for Barooga 50-29 away from home.
Moama ended Congupna’s finals hopes, coming away with a 58-21 victory at Memorial Park.
MMG sports reporter