Enjoyment paramount for Diamonds – Tippett
Australia's Gretel Tippett says that the Diamonds are determined to continue enjoying their Vitality Netball World Cup experience, despite the pressure of aiming to retain their title.
The Diamonds have been in relentless form so far, recording four convincing wins in the opening four days of action in Liverpool.
They – and Tippett – were free-scoring again today as they passed 90 goals for the second game in succession, beating Barbados 91-22.
Tippett says that the relaxed mood in the camp is benefiting the team on court.
She said:
“The whole experience is fun. For me personally, I think that if I’m having fun, then I’m relaxed and I’m playing my best game, so I try to bring that on to court.”
The 26-year-old admitted that the Diamonds have been keeping an eye on their rivals as the early stages of the tournament have progressed, but says that other events across the sporting summer have gripped their attention.
“We’ve actually been watching quite a bit of Wimbledon and the cricket!” she said. “But of course, we’re looking at the other teams – we watched South Africa beat Jamaica which was super intense, with both teams playing at a really high level, so we know we’ve got our work cut out.
“Barbados today were a great team to play, Zimbabwe were a test for us and Malawi tomorrow will see us play against another different style. It’s getting to the really exciting end of the tournament now, but we’ll continue to take it one game at a time.”