Excitement is building for the Magic versus Pulse battle at Mercury Baypark Arena in Tauranga today.

The game gets underway at 4pm with the Magic fiercely determined to turn around their 56-44 defeat from when the teams last met in Round 2 in Wellington.

What will it take to stop Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse as they navigate some serious injury to their ranks but maintain their unblemished record so far?

AVIS Magic may threaten that record with Erena Mikaere and Georgia Takarangi producing a solid wall for the fourth-placed side – the latter in the top two for intercepts this season.

Just how they measure up against Martina Salmon and Kiana Pelasio will set the tone for the match of the round. 

Pulse captain Kelly Jackson said there is plenty of “trust and belief” within the side despite dealing with a number of injuries. 

“We have to go out there and back each other up,” says Kelly.

Martina was like a “doppelganger” of Walmsley with her play, Kelly says, and had slotted into the team well. But the Magic pose a bigger threat and will have the benefit of footage of the new Pulse shooting circle in action to analyse before game day whistles. 

They will however need captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio back on deck after the goal attack missed their loss to the Mystics – her absence heavily felt up front.

Vice-captain Erena Mikaere says while they are pleased with their third quarter performance against the Mystics, they need to start better and will turn their focus inwards before looking at the Pulse. 

“It’s ourselves verse ourselves. We need to look at what we do before we look at them.”

It will be a short turnaround for the Magic, but they will be at home as they search for their third win of the season and the opportunity to stay in touch with the top three teams.

Magic v Pulse at Mercury Baypark  Arena in Tauranga
4pm, Saturday, May 25
Live on Sky Sport and free to air on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+
International streaming on www.netballpass.com

Some Magic v Pulse game statistics:

When the teams last met in Round 2 the Pulse defeated the Magic 56-44 in Wellington. The Pulse have won 18 of the 21 previous meetings between the teams in the ANZ Premiership.

The Magic and Pulse have met 39 times since 2008 and the Pulse hold a 23-16 record. The Magic held a 13-5 record in the ANZ Championship while the Pulse hold a 18-3 record against Magic in the ANZ Premiership.

The Magic have played nine previous ANZ Premiership matches in Tauranga for a record of two wins and seven losses. The Magic won their first two matches in Tauranga in 2017 and 2018 but have lost the past seven. This is the Magic and Pulse’s first meeting in Tauranga.

The Magic are coming off a 44-54 loss to the Mystics in Auckland in Round 6 and sit in fourth place on the ladder.

The Pulse recorded the highest score in Round 6 with their 58-52 win over the Stars in Wellington. The Pulse are coming off a 58-52 victory over the Stars in Round 6 and remain undefeated at the top of the ANZ Premiership ladder.

The Pulse are only team to remain undefeated after six rounds in the ANZ Premiership.

Martina Salmon made her debut for the Pulse in round six shooting 41/45 at 91 per cent. Martina took the court in three matches already this season as a replacement player for the Steel in rounds one, two and five.

The Pulse have the best defensive record after six rounds conceding 45 goals per match, while the Magic has the fourth best record conceding 53.7 goals per match.

The Magic have the second best shooting accuracy in 2024 at 86.7 per cent. Mystics best at 87.9 per cent, while the Pulse have the lowest accuracy in the competition at 80.5 per cent.

The Magic hadn’t won a second half quarter in their opening three matches in 2024 but they haven’t lost a second half quarter in their past three matches (won five and drawn one). The Magic hasn’t won an opening quarter in their past three matches.

The Pulse’s 6-0 start to the 2024 season this their equal third best start to a season (2018), they won their opening 10 matches in 2020 and their best start to a season was 12 matches in 2019.

Ariana Cable-Dixon made her return to the ANZ Premiership for the Magic in Round 6, her first court time in the Premiership since being a replacement player for the Magic and Mystics in 2022.