MATCH PREVIEW (R6): PULSE v MYSTICS

SKYCITY Mystics captain Anna Harrison had a simple message for her charges – learn from their mistakes and learn quickly. There will be some big lessons from last week’s 22-goal loss to Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse but Harrison is calling on the Mystics to take up the challenge. “Great teams and great players show that they can learn something in a few days and take it on to the court,” she said. The Mystics were disappointed with their movement when on attack against the Pulse with Harrison wanting to see more strong leads and more than one option to the ball. “We knew they were going to be hard on us and we needed to get away from body, but we didn’t.” Converting any turnover ball would also be crucial against a Pulse team that is in punishing form. There seem to be few chinks in the Pulse armour and teams must be scratching their heads on how to halt their run. Watch the match-up between Elisapeta Toeava and Karin Burger – both no doubt on the radar of Silver Ferns selectors and keen to push their case for national honours. Burger had the better of her Mystics’ opponent last week in a key battle up front.

WHO TO WATCH:

Aliyah Dunn (Pulse) – there is no stopping the teenage shooting sensation who was again to the fore in the convincing win over the Mystics last Sunday. She missed just three of her 42 attempts at goal, absorbing the early pressure to push on.

Elisapeta Toeava (Mystics) versus Karin Burger (Pulse) – the dynamic Mystics’ wing had perhaps her toughest outing yet, against Burger. The long reach of Burger brought hesitancy into Toeava’s game which upset the direct route the Mystics’ wing has with shooter Bailey Mes.

Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (Mystics) – has the tough ask of marking in-form Pulse attacker Whitney Souness. Sokolich-Beatson picked up five deflections last week but her team were unable to convert any of them into goals.