KEY POINTS:
Defence will likely play a key role again when the Silver Ferns face England tomorrow night. England have just come off two tests across the Tasman where they lost both games to the Australian Diamonds, but the world champions did not have it all their own way.
England
pushed Australia in both matches, especially in game one in Newcastle last Saturday night, losing by only three points.
The Ferns already knew England could match it with the best. Last year they lost to England by five goals just months before the world cup.
New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken, who was in the crowd watching England's first game against Australia, says: "When we lost against England it was for lots of reasons. It was not our best performance and it was our issue at the time, although England did play very well.
"It's quite a different team now and we're all working at going forward together. Many of the girls in the team weren't there at the time, but others will remember that loss and of course want to rectify it this time around."
Defence may be the key. The last three games have all been low scoring. The 38-31 scoreline between New Zealand and Australia in September was the lowest for a 60-minute international between the two and the lowest since 1989 - when games were 40 minutes long.
Aitken says this is because every team's defence have really stepped up. The Ferns were no different, with goal keep Casey Williams one of the best in the world.
Williams' dynamite efforts at Vector Arena earned her best on court honours, and Aitken will be hoping for a similar performance at the same venue tomorrow night.
"There's more tenacity in the defence part of the game from all teams now," Aitken says. "It's hard work finding space in any position and hard work getting clean possession. There's a lot of work happening off the ball all over the court and there's some great defensive battles in every game."
Aitken was also quick to point out it's not only her defenders making life difficult for the opposition. The Silver Fern shooters will have their work cut out for them up against the experience of Sonia Mkoloma and the ever-improving Geva Mentor.
"England are obviously very strong defensively with Mentor and Mkoloma down there. They make a formidable pair with their long arms and they certainly get a truckload of ball," Aitken says.
Mentor, a star for the Adelaide Thunderbirds during the inaugural ANZ Championship this year, said last week her side rued their losses to Australia and were keen to make amends against New Zealand.
"I think the belief is there, it's just knowing how to win," Mentor said. "It's two different things, wanting to win and knowing how to win."
The series then moves to Dunedin on Wednesday, and the final game next Saturday in Palmerston North before the Ferns head across the Tasman to take on Australia.
