Australian coach Norma Plummer has provided New Zealand counterpart Ruth Aitken with few surprises with the selection of her squad for next month's world netball championships.
Plummer has made just one change from the side that won a three-test series against the Silver Ferns in July, with star
defender Mo'onia Gerrard returning from injury and midcourter Natasha Chokljat dropping out.
Aitken said yesterday that Plummer had picked a formidable and largely predictable 12-strong squad.
She always expected Gerrard, who has recovered from a calf muscle injury, to be recalled and the main interest was the make-up of the midcourt to accommodate her.
The Australian line-up has just three survivors from the 2003 world tournament in Jamaica in skipper Liz Ellis, vice-captain Sharelle McMahon and shooter Catherine Cox, but Aitken said there were no unfamiliar faces.
The Australians had been a largely settled squad since last year's Commonwealth Games.
"They've become very experienced over the past 12 to 18 months and they have had a lot of success." Since losing their Commonwealth crown in Melbourne, Australia have won six of their nine tests against New Zealand, who will be defending their world title in Auckland.
Plummer, who took over as test coach after the last world championships, described the squad as the strongest she had named, with every first choice player available.
Aitken said it was certainly the most balanced line-up throughout the court and it had plenty of depth.
The Silver Ferns, meanwhile, completed their fortnightly camp in Christchurch on Sunday, and will regather for their next one, in the same city, next Wednesday.
Aitken was pleased with how preparations had been going for the world championships, which run from November 10-17.
She said: "We've really appreciated the time together and had some tough runs against some of the men's teams. We've just been head down, doing our best to ensure that we're absolutely in top notch shape come November."
- NZPA
