It's been a bad night for New Zealand netball teams in the trans-Tasman competition with heavy defeats for the Canterbury Tactix in Christchurch and the Northern Mystics in Brisbane at the end of the second Rivalry Round.
Australia won easily again with a combined goal count of 288 to New Zealand's 230 after the Melbourne Vixens beat the Tactix 64-49 then the Queensland Firebirds thrashed the Northern Mystics 71-54 in Brisbane.
The defending champion Vixens led 35-24 at half-time while the Firebirds' first win of the season was their highest score in the Championship by five goals.
They led by five at half-time but the margin shot out to 14 in a game-breking third quarrter that will boost their confidence before they play the Southern Steel at Invercargill in tthe next round.
The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, the only New Zealand team to win at the weend, are third with six points, two behind the Vixens and New South Wales Swifts.
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