KEY POINTS:
Jacob Oram reckons New Zealand haven't yet peaked and have plenty left in the tank for Australia this Saturday - and their World Cup semifinal showdown looming in Jamaica.
Australia's win over Sri Lanka yesterday means New Zealand are almost certain of falling into the 2 v 3
semifinal at Sabina Park, whatever the result of their final second-round encounter against the defending champions.
Having bounced back from last week's disappointing performance against Sri Lanka to beat South Africa, Oram said the favourable draw New Zealand were provided through the Super Eights would leave his team fresh for the challenges ahead.
New Zealand are destined to play their fifth World Cup semifinal, against Sri Lanka next Wednesday, leaving Australia to fight out the other play-off against either England or South Africa in St Lucia.
New Zealand have never won a World Cup semifinal, falling short in 1975, 1979, 1992 and 1999. But Oram said New Zealand had managed a noticeable shift in intensity after the loss to Sri Lanka, and were well-placed to lift their game.
"I think we've got a lot left in the tank," said Oram. "This little break here has been quite timely - six days off, a game against Australia and then another four days off before the semifinals.
"That's quite a good schedule for us. The biggest thing is getting over playing three games in six days; having to be up for that and then needing to switch off for a week - that's probably going to be the biggest issue. The good thing is that we've timed our training around not peaking too early in the week."
Oram, who said New Zealand were preparing for an exhaustive practice session at La Sagesse today, suggested Australia would be desperate to right the ledger after suffering three consecutive defeats in the recent Chappell-Hadlee series.
But he said the New Zealanders were feeling confident about their capabilities and would resist the temptation to fight fire with fire.
"I don't think Australia will be coming out to do anything they don't do normally; that's just the way they play and it's why they're champions," he said.
"They play a style of game that they believe in, and that they're very good at. The good thing about our side is that we're well aware of our strengths and weaknesses and we play within those, rather than trying to play a game we can't. We try to adopt a style that suits what we're capable of."
To a British television reporter who suggested the upcoming game was meaningless, given semifinals placings were all but settled, Oram said only Kiwis and Australians could truly understand the passion.
"You have to understand the nature of the transtasman rivalry," he said. "You look at the Bledisloe Cup and the netball and league and the other sports - Australia-New Zealand contests are always important to us.
"Even though we've made the semis, we'd still like to go on and win that game. If we meet Australia later on, we want to be able to go into that contest with confidence. So, win or lose, we want to put a very good performance on the board."
Asked whether the Chappell-Hadlee rout was still significant, given Australia were without Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath, Oram said the wins had still boosted his side's morale and self-esteem.
"Sure, it wasn't the Aussies' full-strength side, but it's worth remembering that in the final game, when we chased down 340-odd, we had myself, Shane Bond and Daniel Vettori on the sidelines.
"It was more the nature of the wins that galvanised us; they buoyed our belief and confidence.
"Having said that, we know Australia will come out on [Saturday] wanting to just smash us - that's what they want to do every time, but particularly after what happened in New Zealand."
