The Netball Show
S7 Ep87: Bethan Dyke (17th Nov 2024)
(upbeat music) - Hi, this is Nat Metcalf. Flyhawk have developed a unique 3D kit designer that's fully customizable. So if you're looking for a new kit for your team for the new season, visit flyhawk.com or email info@flyhawk.com with your ideas now. - Nation Player is the easy to use, one-stop radio and audio app. Download Nation Player now on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Nation Player, where on are you? The net will show with Flyhawk, raising the bar for netball and winning sport. - Netball show with Flyhawk at the recent Celtic Cup, Welsh feather Beth and I achieved her 75th national cap. She joins me now. Beth and Wales has grown so much as a side as a net over that time. - Yeah, it really has and we're really proud of the performances that we put out last weekend and in the two games previously to Zimbabwe. I think we're really grateful for the opportunity that we had to play four games back to back. It's such a good test for us to be able to play those games day after day. You do have to adapt really quickly because you're playing against lots of different styles and I think that was the most pleasing thing for us as a squad was we were able to back up our performances across the four days. - How much did you enjoy them? - Yeah, we really enjoyed them and most of all, we really enjoy being in each other's company. I think it's been a tough block. It's been a long block. We spent lots of time together doing things on court but also lots of stuff away from the court. And I think the performances last weekend showed we were really striving for that excellence every day and I think we learned lots from game one to game four and I'm just so proud that we were able to bring home the cap. - It was nice as well that you didn't have to, didn't have to travel halfway around the world just to play Scotland and up on Northern Ireland, wasn't it? - Yeah, it was quite nice. But going up to Scotland and playing against them away from home is always such a tough, tough ask. And again, with Northern Ireland as well, we always have really closely fought contests. So it was really good that we were able to do that in such short succession and obviously come out on top for both games. - During it as well, you celebrated your 75th international cap as well, never really taken for granted but playing for Wales is always something you treasure. - Yeah, never taken for granted and every time I get to put on the red dress, it's really special and I think it has gone so quickly even though it does at times feel like a lifetime but I remember my first half back in 2014 in Cardiff which was a real special moment. I remember my 50th cap at the Commonwealth Games when we played against Scotland and to get my 75th on the weekend was really special. The team and everyone involved in Wales Network made it a really special time and I was also fortunate to have my boyfriend and my mum there at the time as well which was amazing and to get the win on Saturday was great. - Did you do anything as a team to celebrate? - I mean, we had a sing song in the changing room and in the ice bath but the focus was very much on. On the next game and like I said, the team did make it really special and all got around me and we celebrated back at the hotel with a good sing song and some performance analysis. - I bet it was nice having the likes of Zimbabwe as that in rotational squad as well 'cause they bring so much to games done. - Oh yeah, it was really great to have them as part of the Celtic Cup and obviously we were very fortunate to play them twice in Cardiff the week before. We hadn't really seen much of them playing so it was very much the unknown in the Cardiff Games the week before and I think as you saw, the two games were very different. The first game was very, very tight and really strong contest which we knew we were gonna have but it's really important that we're able to play against those different styles and be able to do it again like I said back to back 'cause you do have to learn very quickly and adapt and I think the pleasing thing was we were then from test one to test two against Zimbabwe. We obviously made huge improvements and then the goal for goal game the week after I think just to continue to do what we wanted to put out there and trust in our game plan and get over the line particularly in like I said, a really close thought game was really important for us as a team and I think there's been games in the past where we haven't got over the line in those goal for goal games so to be able to do that gave us huge confidence going into the next game. - It was evident I suppose quite early on that you'd gone two from two. By the time it had gone two from two really what did you start to think as a team? You know what we could really take all three wins or was that never the idea? - Yeah, I think the aim for us going into the competition was we wanted to come away with four wins and for us the two tests previous like six games from six so we knew in order to do this we had to be our very best for every single game. So the focus was very much on us ahead of the week as like I said we hadn't really seen much of all three opposition and really ahead of the games but I think what the biggest achievement for us was we progressed as every game went on. We learnt lots, we took the things that we've done really well in games into the next and I think to see out those really close matches that were going goal for goal and come out on top was a huge step forward for us as a team. We also got two new caps across the course, the week Poppy and Vicki, both Poppy and Vicki deserve their first caps. They've trained so hard in this block and they've come into the squad seamlessly and I think what's great is we've got a good mix of youth and experience now in the squad and we've definitely got lots of depth. We took 15 athletes after Celtic Kerp and we still had three athletes back in Cardiff. So I think there's loads and loads that we can be proud of and we're looking to build on that going forward now. Given the fact that Nepal, Scotland are going to be after Rankin points, Nepal, Northern Ireland are going to be after Rankin points as well. How did you think they did overall? I think all squads did so well. I think it was an awesome competition and I think the games were very closely contested. Every game, you didn't really know who was going to come out on top which I think makes it really exciting. I think for us, we definitely want to climb the Rankins. So that's definitely something that we want to do going forward and it is within our control. We just need to make sure that every opportunity that we get as a whale squad to play against any opposition that we go out, we put our best foot forward and we try and get those wins so that gives us the best chance to climb up the Rankins. It was nice to see Player of the Series was Vicki Booth, wasn't it? Yeah, Vicki had an incredible test series against Zimbabwe to get her first cap. And Player of the Match was amazing. I said to her, it must be like a dream come true for her. But like I said, she's just slotted seamlessly into the squad. She's been a great team mate to have around and she is still so young and has got so much potential. And we're really fortunate to have her as part of the whale's feathers. And I'm trying to get the inside scoop about Leo and her trainers. One was one for her and one was the other colour. Although I did message her and she must have seen it at half time because it was back to solo colour. So what's that about? Yeah, Leo was wearing him a new trainer. So I don't really have any inside scoop considering that we were roomies for the Celtic Cup as well. I think those trainers changed quite a lot across game to game. But you know what, she had an incredible act tournament. So yeah, she can do what she wants. No arguments here. And finally, you'd just be looking forward to Super League starting. No doubt, it's just around the corner, right? Yeah, I'm really excited to get started. Obviously, we're really lucky that we've got a number of players that will be playing together at Cardiff Dragons that just come off the back of Celtic Cup. So yeah, we're definitely looking to build on those connections. But again, we've got loads of excitement island. And I'm just really, really excited to be back with Cardiff Dragons this year. Thank you very much, Bethan. Thank you so much. The netball show is now also available via SkyQ and Sky Glass. Select sports and we're on the podcast's rail. (upbeat music)
Bethan was part of the Wales Feathers that won the recent Celtic Cup - a competition that also saw her 75th International Cap