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Well done girls, an awesome effort in a fantastic match!
Mark Gerrard now has to wait until 2011 to try and equal with his sister as a World Champion!
Aussies back on top of world
From correspondents in Auckland
November 17, 2007
AUSTRALIA overcame defending champions New Zealand 42-38 in a thrilling world netball championship final to reclaim the crown and underline their status as the most successful team in history.
Chalking up their ninth netball world title, Australia's superior defence and lightning-fast passing game won the day, but only just.
The Silver Ferns pushed Australia all the way and with five minutes to go there was only one goal separating the two great rivals.
Captain Liz Ellis' outstanding defence proved decisive.
The veteran goalkeeper, playing in her fourth world championship, was relentless as she harried to disrupt supply to New Zealand's great strike weapon, shooter Irene van Dyk.
In an intense start to the match, New Zealand led early, with the Silver Ferns attacking Australia's fast-paced midcourt.
Australia sneaked ahead to lead 13-10 after the first quarter.
But in the second, Australia's defence stepped up with Ellis, backed by an in-form Selina Gilsenan and Mo'onia Gerrard.
Australia led 27-20 at half-time.
Things were not so good for the tournament favourites Australia in the second half, as Australia's shooters struggled.
Over the whole match, Australia's shooting accuracy was poor, at just 70 per cent compared to the Ferns' 83 per cent.
Catherine Cox led Australia's scoring making 27 from 38 and Sharelle McMahon made seven from 10.
Coach Norma Plummer replaced McMahon with youngster Susan Pratley in the second half and made more changes as New Zealand continued their fightback, before Pratley went off after copping a whack in the eye.
Plummer brought in Julie Prendergast at wing defence and shooter Natalie Medhurst before making another switch to bring back McMahon in place of Cox.
Despite the sell-out New Zealand crowd roaring on their side Australia held off the home team's late burst with McMahon stepping up to extend the margin to four goals at the end.
"What a fight," a relieved Ellis said.
"The Silver Ferns were always going to be a super opponent tonight and they fought back and fought back and at no stage of that game did we feel safe.
"But this team here we have worked incredibly hard – I think every team that came here did – but the heart and the soul and the fight in this team is unbelievable."
Plummer praised her triumphant team's superb defence.
"I can't say anything else, my stomach's in a knot," Plummer said.
"I think we didn't stop. Our defensive performance was just relentless."
Plummer said her decision to make so many gutsy changes right up to the end "wasn't difficult at all".
"We backed ourselves and I said I had the depth in the team," she said.
"And that's what I went for."
New Zealand are yet to win a title on home soil and have never won back-to-back championships, but coach Ruth Aitken was gracious in defeat, paying tribute to Australia and commending Australia's talent.
"They (New Zealand) gave it their all ... we fought, we fought, we fought, but we just weren't quite there in the end," she said.
AAP
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CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!! 
Originally Posted by JediKnight
