England's netball team experienced a substantial setback in the Commonwealth Games, falling to a 66-47 defeat against defending champions Australia in Pool A. England captain Fran Williams acknowledged that the team was "far from our best" during the match.
Australia established dominance early, securing an 18-11 lead in the first quarter and extending their advantage to 56-35 by the close of the third quarter. The final score reflected Australia's control, with Sophie Garbin contributing significantly by scoring 41 goals from 42 attempts. Olivia Tchine was England's leading scorer, converting 23 of her 25 attempts.
"That's not the result we came for and not the performance," Williams stated in a post-match interview. "We didn't cope well with their physicality. It's really tough when a game blows out like that."
England had opened their campaign with a 83-34 victory over Northern Ireland on Saturday. Their next match is scheduled against Malawi on Monday.
This loss follows England's performance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where they failed to secure a medal. The current squad has limited Commonwealth Games experience, with only Eleanor Cardwell and Imogen Allison having previously participated. Several key players, including gold medalists Helen Housby and Natalie Metcalf, were unavailable due to injury, with Metcalf withdrawing due to a calf injury.
Additionally, the team is currently under interim leadership. Head coach Jess Thirlby stepped down in March for personal reasons, with assistant Anna Stembridge, who previously served as head coach from 2011 to 2015, now in charge.
In other Pool B action on Sunday, Scotland achieved their first win of the tournament by defeating Wales 56-47.