Netball: Jamaica Aitken's first major test

By JULIE ASH

Ruth Aitken last visited Jamaica in 1979, when she was a member of the national side with Lynn Parker, Leigh Gibbs and Yvonne Willering.

Coached by Lois Muir, that New Zealand team beat Jamaica en route to Trinidad and Tobago, where they shared the world championship title with Australia and the host nation.

Now, more than 20 years later, Aitken is returning to Jamaica - this time as Silver Ferns coach. She replaces Willering, who replaced Gibbs, who replaced Parker.

"It was an interesting group - Lois must have put something in the water," Aitken quipped.

Her appointment last year came as a shock. With the Commonwealth Games and next year's world championships looming, many thought dropping Willering was a huge mistake.

Then, with the retirement of captain Bernice Mene and the unavailability of key defenders Linda Vagana and Vilimaina Davu for the Jamaican tour, Aitken could be forgiven for wanting to retire before she had even selected her first team.

But the Paeroa secondary school teacher has remained positive.

She guided the New Zealand A team to success in the Showdown tournament in Newcastle last weekend - but her first real challenge comes over the next 10 days when the Silver Ferns take on Jamaica.

Jamaica, who will host the world championships in July next year, are ranked fourth in the world and have provided New Zealand with some tough competition in recent years.

The last time the sides met was in the semifinals of the world championships in 1999, when New Zealand won by just two goals.

"It is an emotional place to tour. The crowd are so patriotic and that will be new for some of our players," Aitken said. "When we played there, we played outdoors, so at least we have moved up a notch since then."

She does not know the exact make-up of the Jamaican team, but is expecting a tall and physical side, who will play an aerial game.

"They will be very competitive. They always have a lot of tall, skinny players coming out of the woodwork.

"They always have tall goal shoots whom they look to lob to. So our defence will have to work throughout the court."

And it is the New Zealand defence that will come under the microscope.

Anna Veronese, Belinda Charteris, Sheryl Clarke and Lorna Suafoa have all had Silver Ferns experience, but still lack the presence of Mene and Vagana.

The Ferns play two Jamaican selection sides before they square off against Jamaica in a three-test series on March 3, 4 and 6.

"I want the best of both worlds,"Aitken said. "I want us to do well - every time we hit the court we want to win.

"But at the same time, the Commonwealth Games are our goal for this year and this is a chance for me to test players in competitive situations because we are also looking at development."

Aitken says she is looking for a variety of play from the Silver Ferns and would like to feel confident enough to use all of her bench.

She dismisses claims that recent Silver Fern sides have lacked physical toughness.

"Once you start getting involved in the physical nature of the game, your on-court concentration goes, as does the skill level.

"Once you are confronted with a physical game, you have to dig deeper. Don't get even, get better.

"Certainly a lot will be thrown at us, but I think a lot comes down to our confidence in one another."

Team: Belinda Charteris, Temepara Clark (nee George), Sheryl Clarke, Jenny-May Coffin, Belinda Colling, Victoria Edward, Angela Evans, Adine Harper, Donna Loffhagen, Lesley Nicol, Julie Seymour (capt), Lorna Suafoa, Anna Veronese, Irene van Dyk.

Itinerary: March 1, v Jamaica senior league team; March 2, v Jamaica select team; March 3, v Jamaica, first test; March 4, v Jamaica, second test; March 6, v Jamaica, third test.