MATCH PREVIEW | Leeds Rhinos vs Saracens Mavericks (NSL Rd 13)
Goal Attack Kira Rothwell feels that the confidence is starting to flow for her side, as they embark on three away fixtures in a row.
Back-to-back victories over Team Bath Strathclyde Sirens have catapulted Mavericks back into the play-off hunt and Rothwell believes that seeing the structures they want to impose come to life on court has been the real catalyst.
“I think we’ve built a lot of confidence in the last couple of games, especially in our ability to push on towards the end. We’ve said to ourselves at training that we can’t believe in certain things until we see it on court, and I think we are starting to get to that point which is exciting.”
Mavericks face a Rhinos side that have had a similar upturn in form in recent weeks, with Rothwell insisting that her side’s ability to stick to structure will be crucial on Friday night.
“I think Rhinos have grown a lot since we last played them, as have we. This week at training will be all about honing our structures, as we know it’s going to be a real test.”
Rhinos sit just behind Mavericks in the table and Rothwell feels that they have improved right across the court, highlighting the importance of a strong defensive showing in Sheffield.
“They have improved their ability to get the ball into Mvula in the circle and so shutting down their attack higher up the court will be important. Similarly in defence they’ve strengthened their partnerships and we’ve been looking at ways to open up their defence as well.”
With three consecutive away fixtures to look forward to, Mavericks will be on the road for the rest of May. Rothwell explained that her side’s approach doesn’t change whether they ae playing home or away and made the point that having a consistent match day structure was a really important part of their approach.
“The way we approach the week doesn’t change much whether it’s a home or away game. We focus on attack and defence specifics for the team we are coming up against. We try and make sure our routine on away days is as similar as possible to home games as well, which has really helped.”
