Netball: Reshaped Ferns face test

By RICHARD BOOCK

The Silver Ferns begin a new journey with a dramatically reshaped team tonight when they square off against South Africa in the first test at the North Shore Events Centre.

Having lost five established players in the past year, the Ferns will take the court with a redesigned attack end, a reshuffled mid-court and, just for good measure, a new captain in Anna Rowberry.

The New Zealanders might be expected to crush the tourists, but the test match is also the start of the build-up to next year's world championships, and should provide an early insight into the side's chances.

Coach Ruth Aitken was forced to make four changes to the squad who attended the Commonwealth Games, bringing in Angela Evans and Adine Harper for Donna Loffhagen and Daneka Wipiiti, recalling Vick Edward for Julie Seymour, and replacing Linda Vagana with defender Anna Scarlett.

Scarlett, a 19-year-old goal-keep from Otago who turned in eye-catching performances in this year's National Bank Cup and Smokefree Championships, is the sole new cap.

The captaincy race was won by Rowberry, who beat off Belinda Colling, Lesley Nicol and Jenny-May Coffin to complete a spectacular comeback, considering she was in the wilderness this time last year.

Aitken said she was encouraged by the calibre of the defectors' replacements and was excited about the potential of the new-look side.

"I often think that these losses tend to push you to stretch the boundaries and look at different options, and to use the strengths that the individual players bring to the game," she said.

"Players come into the national team because they've got flair and talent, and I believe it would be a mistake to stifle that adventure or to insist on a more regimented game-plan."

For all that, most of the squad have been on the international scene for a few years, leaving Aitken with a good mixture of experience, seniority and youth.

Colling is expected to share the goal-attack duties with Evans and possibly Harper, who will also have a role to play in the mid-court, depending on whether Rowberry slots in at centre or wing-attack.

"The core of the team were at the Manchester Games so I expect to see some continuity," Aitken said.

"It's certainly not a completely new side, but the nice thing is that there will be some fresh touches in there and, with it, some variations."

Although the South Africans seemed to make some progress in Manchester, where they reportedly improved throughout the tournament, they are carrying six changes to that combination and are not expected to threaten the Silver Ferns.

Possibly their best player is Liezel Wium, 26, a pacy, highly skilled mid-courter with a reputation as a top distributor and never-say-die defender.

New Zealand: Anna Rowberry (capt), Irene van Dyk, Belinda Colling, Angela Evans, Adine Harper, Jenny-May Coffin, Victoria Edward, Lesley Nicol, Anna Veronese, Sheryl Clarke, Vilimaina Davu, Anna Scarlett.

South Africa: Martha Mosoahle (capt), Adele Jonker, Martha Machoga, Elsje Jordaan, Liezel Wium, Nathabising Moabi, Thobile, Nzama, Bronwyn Bock-Joanathan, Tanya Pelcher, Adri Vlok, Julene Meyer, Zandile Njeza.