Mangaung beat eThekwini, Tshwane defeated Dr Kenneth Kaunda, and Nelson Mandela Bay triumphed over Alfred Nzo in senior A-division matches on day one. After her team got off to a winning start on Thursday, Mangaung head coach Karla Pretorius believes the race for the title at the Spar National Netball Championships could go down to the wire. The Cape Town district side, who were runners-up last season, also opened their campaign with a friendly fixture, claiming a 58-47 victory against Botswana. However, the experienced international star felt her developing coaching skills had benefited from spending time with the SA team’s coaches in Glasgow. “The national coaches are very good at the way they provide information, and you learn from those things,” Pretorius said.