Netball: Emotional time for van Dyk as anthem played

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

An emotional Irene van Dyk is being protected by her new Silver Fern team-mates before one of the toughest netball assignments of her life tonight - playing against her own nation.

Tears spilled when van Dyk stood in the stands for the South African national anthem, played before the Proteas were whipped 33-73 by world champions Australia in Cape Town yesterday.

But Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering is confident that van Dyk's loyalties will be solely with New Zealand when she steps on court against South Africa at the Cape Town Velodrome.

"It was hard for Irene to hear the anthem playing. It will be harder when she's on court hearing it," she said.

"The whole thing was emotional for her. Her parents were there, it was the first time she's been back to South Africa.

"But once she gets out on court I know she will give everything she has for New Zealand. She will try to stay very focused."

Van Dyk has been expecting a tense homecoming, and prepared herself for crowd abuse by having her husband yell at her during training.

Already there has been a mixed reaction from the netball public who once idolised her.

"People come up to her and say that she's only on loan to us, that South Africa will still win without her," Willering said.

"People in the street make comments to her, but it's been nothing that has really upset her.

"We're very aware of it, and we take precautions.

"We make sure she is never in an isolated situation.

"But then there are lots of people who are still treating her as a South African as well."

Van Dyk and her fellow Ferns watched the Proteas suffer a painful drubbing at the hands of the Australians yesterday - the home team losing players to injuries while the world champs marched on.

Australian coach Jill McIntosh rotated all 12 of her touring side, mindful of the effects the concrete surface could have on her players.

You can expect Willering to employ a similar tactic tonight, especially if the Ferns have a decent lead at the first quarter.

"I would like to use my substitutions because of the concrete, but I won't make that decision until the day," she said.

One thing is for certain: captain Bernice Mene is unlikely to get much court time, if any, in the first test because of her dodgy knee.

Willering's main worry going into New Zealand's first real test in six months is the lack of decent opposition in the build-up.

"It's a slight concern that we haven't had a tough match since we played New Zealand A before we left," she said.

The Ferns had a run yesterday against a top local side, Maties, but the New Zealanders won easily.

Willering is expecting the new-look Proteas to improve after their error-ridden effort yesterday.

"It looked like they were intimidated. Maybe they were holding something back for our game," she said.

"But there's no reason, having seen them today, that we can't play our own ball game against them.

"I'm just happy we are playing South Africa first, and not Australia."

The Ferns meet Australia at a high school gym in Pietermartizburg on Wednesday morning.