Netball: South Africa last chance for Ferns coach

By RICHARD BOOCK

South Africa looms as the Last Chance Saloon for New Zealand netball coach Yvonne Willering.

The world championship loss and a scratchy international season have left the Silver Ferns chief on precarious ground as she prepares for November's tour of the Republic.

Though the challenge of South Africa is not calculated to strike fear into her heart, the knowledge that her side will play at least one test against Australia during the tour is a slightly different matter, particularly after last month's 23-goal rout in Newcastle.

Whatever the excuses and reasons for that debacle, another showdown against the World Champions this year should provide a fascinating insight into the relative progress of the sides, not to mention a strong clue on whether Willering's reign is likely to come to a premature end.

Appointed as Leigh Gibbs' replacement in 1996, Willering has fashioned a similarly modest record to her much-maligned predecessor, but apparently did enough to have her contract extended by two years after New Zealand were beaten in the final of the World Championships last October.

This was the match in which she came under fire for refusing to make a substitution as the wheels fell off New Zealand's game, and her harshest critics would point to more baffling decisions or non-decisions during this season's tests against Australia, Pasifika and the World selection.

In contrast to her Australian counterpart, Jill McIntosh - perhaps the World 7's most valuable asset this winter - Willering's use of the bench often coincided with a slump rather than a boost, and in the space of six tests raised some impertinent questions about her decision-making and trouble-shooting qualities.

This was never more apparent than in Newcastle, when she opted to start a tired-looking Donna Loffhagen with Adine Harper rather than sending in Irene van Dyk, as widely expected.

Harper was then pulled after shooting 10 from 12, while wing-attack Anna Rowberry was replaced by Temepara George at halftime, only to be sent back out for the final quarter.

If anything underlined Willering's tactical dilemma, it was her continual experimentation at the attack end, particularly whether she used the speedy and error-prone Rowberry, or the more patient but slightly shorter George.

This was never more evident than in the second test at Christchurch when Willering's decision to pull George at half-time almost led to a series-deciding loss.

In the end, George eventually found her international feet and turned in a blinder during the third and deciding test at Hamilton Then there was matter of defender Anna Veronese and shooter Tania Nicholson, neither of whom were used during the series, despite the Ferns walloping Pasifika in Auckland and Palmerston North.

Thankfully, their presence was not required against the World side, and the question of what might have happened had either van Dyk or someone like Lesley Nicol gone down during the pressure-laden second or third tests was never answered.

For Willering, however, more questions are gathering on the horizon.