Netball: Coach recognises Australia's game

By JULIE ASH in Kingston

New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken warns Silver Fern fans not to read too much into Australia's indifferent performance before today's world championship final.

While New Zealand trounced hometown favourites Jamaica 56-37 in their semifinal yesterday, the defending champions were far from convincing for the second day in a row, securing a scrappy 45-37 win over England.

But Aitken said Australia were notorious for saving the best for last.

"I think that they will be completely different tomorrow and I wouldn't read too much into their game against England. The game had been secured so it was a different style of game. I think they might have been saving themselves."

But yesterday Silver Ferns fans had plenty to savour as New Zealand put in their best performance in recent times, sending out a strong message to defending champions Australia who have their fourth world title in sight.

"Australia's time is up," said Trinidad and Tobago journalist Mervyn Stewart, who has been covering netball for the past 40 years.

And the New Zealand players couldn't be any more fired up.

Vilimaina Davu has charged through every game, and every other Silver Fern is equally as determined to leave this tournament as world champions.

"The level of confidence in each other is really high," Aitken said.

"We have to stick to our game plan and we all have to perform out of our socks basically. It is there we just have to make it happen."

The last time the two sides squared off was in the final of last year's Commonwealth Games, which Australia won by one goal in double overtime.

Since then Australia have introduced wing attack Natasha Chokljat and shooter Cynna Neele - both of whom where called on when Australia got themselves into difficulty in their pool match against Jamaica.

"We have looked at Australia's game for a long time, as they have looked at ours. Any game is there for the taking. We just have to make sure we talk up our togetherness and just go out there and believe."

Aitken said that with several changes in both sides it was hard to gauge how the teams compared now to how they did at the Commonwealth Games.

"The thing about this team is that they want to get better each time. They really do. There is this desire to get better and better. We have a great unit but it is a huge game tomorrow."

New Zealand will, however, have to ensure they get off to a better start than they did in yesterday's bruising encounter against Jamaica.

New Zealand were 6-1 down but managed to recover before the end of the first quarter and went into the break 13-10 ahead.

As expected, Aitken introduced Adine Harper into the game as wing attack in the second quarter and she immediately made an impact.

New Zealand defenders Davu and Sheryl Clarke did a sterling job on the Jamaican shooters. Jamaica's normally reliable shooter Carla Williams had her worst game of the tournament, netting 69 per cent of her shots.

The Jamaicans were further rattled when their wing attack Simone Forbes was sidelined for two goals for continuous breaking.

New Zealand went into the halftime break 27-19 ahead and Jamaican coach Maureen Hall made several changes, to no avail as the Silver Ferns extended their lead to 42-24 at three-quarter time before winning comfortably.

"I thought it was a raggedy start but then we really composed ourselves and plugged away at things."

"Certainly I thought our attacking circle was fantastic. They completely dominated and any turnover ball was treasured and once it got into the circle Irene [van Dyk] was on fire and Bill [Belinda Colling] was just playing beautifully and at the other end of the court Vilimaina [Davu] was doing her one-woman defensive mission," Aitken said.

"I thought everyone stepped up to the mark and I'll keep them on," she joked.

She said all of her players were expected to be fit for the final, including Colling, Lesley Nicol and Davu, who took knocks yesterday.

"I think our physio will be the hardest working person tonight. There are some sore bodies around. We have to access it in the morning."

Jamaican coach Maureen Hall said her team's main problem was that they just could not get the ball though the hoop.

"Our shooting was off very badly today. I thought Vilimaina had an effect on Carla [Williams]. We didn't have the benefit of [regular shooter] Elaine Davis who was ill. We were forced to keep Carla for the entire 60 minutes."

Hall also said her side had trouble adapting to the umpires, who were from England and Barbados.

"I think it is just a question of interpretation. When you come to world tournaments it is Australia's and New Zealand interpretation of the game.

"I am not suggesting that is why we lost but I think it is a little bit unfortunate when we get to this level it is Australia, New Zealand and England and what you are telling all the people that come here is that only those people can interpret the rules. The rest of the world need to object strongly about it."

Jamaica face England in the playoff for third place today.

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