England manager Jess Thirlby believes Vitality Rose’s mindset has changed when playing against the best teams in the world and they are now in a “different space”.
England will tour Australia and New Zealand this month and next month, playing three matches against Australia, the world number one, followed by three matches against New Zealand, ranked number two. Live coverage on Sky Sports.
The match will provide an opportunity for Thirlby to see how much his squad has improved, blending new faces with eight experienced players with an eye on the 2027 World Cup.
Thirlby’s Japan team achieved a shock victory in the Netball World Cup 2023, defeating New Zealand 46-40 to book a place in the final.
England subsequently lost 61-45 to Australia, but that experience, and their subsequent success on the international stage, transformed Lord’s’ expectations of themselves.
“everytime [big expectations]”I hope that never wavers,” Thirlby said. Sky Sports Off The Court Podcast.
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Australia beat England in the Netball World Cup final in South Africa
“It doesn’t matter what stage we are in as we prepare for the long-term goal of a World Cup in Australia in 2027.
“I think the expectations we have of ourselves and the players have of themselves are in a different realm now, the mindset has changed quite a bit over the last few years.
“I think our expectations and ambitions have to remain very high to close that gap over the next few years.”
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A look back at the stories from the Netball World Cup semi-final as England and Australia reached the final
“So we have high expectations for ourselves but we’re under no illusions about this big tour, where we’re playing against the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked players in the world straight away.
“Really, it’s just a matter of going for it. We’re used to not taking things the easy way and we’re not afraid to come here early in the cycle.”
“You can’t guarantee when you’re going to get the opportunity to play against the No. 1 or No. 2 ranked player in the world, so the sooner the better for us.”
“We have an exciting team that continues to evolve. There’s a lot of new, fresh talent and up-and-coming talent coming through. It’s our job to unlock different combinations of those to stress test, and there’s no better place to do that than here.”
“We are turning the tide”
Thirlby believes there is plenty of evidence that England are currently approaching the Australia game differently to how they have in the past, particularly in how their more inexperienced women’s players talk about the challenges ahead compared to their older counterparts.
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After losing to Australia in the Netball World Cup final, England players won the silver medal in South Africa.
“I think the evolution of the team has ultimately allowed us to bring a very experienced team to the World Cup,” she added.
“They had a lot of veteran leaders who had been on a four-year journey as a collective, as a group.
“It’s been a long time coming to where I can at least get to the finals and play my best.
“These things don’t happen overnight.
“If I’m not prepared to put myself in situations where I’m losing by one point, winning by one point, drawing or losing by a large margin, then I don’t want to take on the job of inspiring the Roses team to do things that other teams are not doing very often or at all.”
“It’s all part of the journey and it builds character, which this team has in abundance.
“They’re not going to shy away from the challenge, they’re taking it seriously, and their commitment is entirely in line with how capable they think they are.”
“The older girls in the group are always saying that the new girls in the group talk differently.
“Things have changed and they remember what it was like five, six, seven, 10 years ago but they’re training with girls who were here for their debut season and now they’re here to play in Australia.”
“It’s great to see the language and the narrative changing and the tide beginning to turn.”
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As the Netball Super League resumes, let’s take a look at who will be playing for who in the new season
The entire England squad
Imogen Allison, Eleanor Cardwell (AUS series only), Amy Carter, Beth Cobden, Funmi Fadoju, Alice Harvey, Helen Housby, Hannah Joseph, Nat Metcalfe, Berry Neal, Royce Pearson, Razia Quashie, Ellie Ratu, Liv Chine, Francesca Williams
England’s full fixture list – all games shown live on Sky Sports
- Thursday 19 September, 10am – Australia v England, Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
- Sunday 22 September, 7am – Australia v England, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
- Wednesday 25 September, 10am – Australia v England, Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo
- Sunday 29 September, 7.35am – New Zealand v England, The Trusts Arena, Auckland
- Wednesday 2 October, 7.35am – New Zealand v England, Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua
- Sunday 6 October, 7.35am – New Zealand v England, ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill
Watch England’s tour of Australia and New Zealand live on Sky Sports. Stream netball and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. There’s no contract and you can cancel anytime.
