KEY POINTS:
New Zealand are capable of winning medals in all eight disciplines at the World Bowls Championships starting today in Christchurch, says national coach Dave Edwards.
This is unlikely to happen - but Edwards believes the Black Jacks will be a team others will treat with much respect.
"Every
discipline is well capable of getting a medal" Edwards said.
He believes the team are prepared after a steady stream of international play in 2007, a three-month camp late in the year, a break before Christmas and then a series of satisfactory performances in national competitions which finished this week.
"We are ready," Edwards said.
"I've asked the individual players and they agreed they are ready - in fact, they just want to get started."
Edwards said his team will open its campaign more cautiously after crashing badly against Australia in the recent trans-Tasman series. The Black Jacks were white-washed on the first day and then fought back on the last two days.
The New Zealand men inflicted their own whitewash on the impressive Australian contingent on the last day.
"The advantage of the 11 games in section play is that you can afford a couple of losses along the way and still be in the top four," he said.
The tournament starts with section play in men's triples and pairs and women's fours and singles - played from today until Wednesday - with the playoffs completed by Saturday.
Likewise, the programme follows a similar vein for the men's singles and fours and the women's pairs and triples in the second week.
"We didn't want to peak at the nationals and we don't want to peak in the next couple of days either," he said.
"It's a matter of easing yourself into the day-in, day-out routine of tournament play.
"The end of the event will tell us all but we are really confident we have got it right with our build-up. The way that the whole campaign has been planned over the last three months has worked a treat."
One player who has "been there and done that" is three-time world champion in the past two tournaments, Sharon Sims.
"There's a really good team spirit and everyone is feeling really confident about our form," Sims said.
"What is also good is that everyone is really supportive of each other and that'll be a big thing."
- NZPA
