Play-offs place is Lightning B's ambition

The Deloitte Winter League’s top flight has proved a testing environment for B teams, who regularly face the established triumvirate of Blaze, Rezzers Green and Lightning A but rarely come away with any points – awarded for a goal difference of fewer than 10 – and are even harder pressed to win.

The last time a B team beat any of the top three was in autumn 2019.

But having taken charge of a promising mix of players, Brehaut would like to change that.

After losing by just eight earlier on to Blaze and then claiming a dominant win against Rezzers B, against whom they were very closely-matched last season, the captain has some lofty ambitions.

‘We would like to take points off the A teams and we definitely want that fourth position,’ she said.

‘We want to get in that top four to make the play-offs.

‘If we can get an upset along the way, that would be brilliant, and taking points is the main option – getting within 10 points of them.’

They did not quite get that close in Tuesday night’s Grammar School encounter against their own A team, losing 59-41.

But they managed to hold their own at either end of the match, losing quarter one by just two goals, before breaking even in the last.

Having gelled quickly as a squad this season by utilising the new rotating substitutions, Lightning B started strongly to lag just 12-10 at the quarter.

Lightning A then brought on Anais Flatres, who has adapted superbly to a new WD role and helped settle her side, who worked towards a 31-19 lead at half-time.

Quarter three followed a similar pattern as the A team extended their advantage to 46-28.

But after capitalising superbly on a wide pool of capable subs, Lightning B had fresher legs and held their A team level in the final quarter.

Both teams shot precisely throughout, in Lightning B’s case backed by centre Brehaut and WA Shannon Jordan coping well with tough mid-court opposition.

Flatres eventually shared the A team’s player of the match honours with centre Carrie Bacon.

Jordan earned Lightning B’s POM recognition after coming from the bench, and Brehaut praised her side’s versatility.

‘Rotating round, we have got the same quality as our starting seven. Our starting seven is not necessarily our strongest seven.

‘It’s brilliant. I am super happy with the team – it’s a really happy squad environment. Everyone’s getting lots of matchplay every week, which is brilliant.

‘Having rotating subs makes such a difference, as you are not sat off for a quarter, you are on and off all the time. Everybody in the squad is really happy with that.’

Lightning A captain Donna Brehaut, who is not closely related to Hayley, was very complimentary of the B team’s performance.

‘It’s always difficult when you play your sister team,’ she said.

‘You know how they play, you train with them, so I think they played really, really well. They have gone from strength to strength this season and I think they will keep doing so.’