Netball: South Africans introduce a touch of foreign influence

By Suzanne McFadden

There is a good dose of Ocker in the South African netball side who will play the Silver Ferns this week.

A handful of the world's almost-there netball nations have turned to the Australians for a little coaching help in the last 12 months.

That includes the Proteas - who, under some archaic method of ranking, are still described as No 2 in the world.

Four years ago, the South Africans turned to a New Zealander - none other than Yvonne Willering - for guidance as they burst out of international isolation and into the world championships.

Now that Willering is otherwise engaged as the opposition coach for this year's world champs, South Africa employed the help of former Australian coach Joyce Brown.

In their first couple of outings since arriving in New Zealand a week ago, the Aussie influence is obvious. Willering picked it up as a spectator at the Proteas' 58-50 win over the Western Flyers on Saturday night.

"Their passing has got very fast, hard and low. A lot of it is one-handed - very Australian," she said. "It's something we will have to address."

England have gone the same way, adopting the Australian shooting style, but they still struggled against New Zealand domestic sides here last month.

In the mid-nineties New Zealand netball was guilty of trying to adjust its style to the Australians - and it was a detrimental move.

"I think we focused a lot on Australia instead of worrying about playing our own game," Willering said.

"It's really important that each country keeps their own identity."

If the extra attention from Brown, now back in Australia, has paid off for the Proteas, it will become more obvious tonight when they play the New Zealand A team in Nelson.

After three training sessions with the Silver Ferns today, Willering will nip across Cook Strait to check out the South Africans again.

And expect to see Australian coach Jill McIntosh in the crowd at Wednesday night's first test in Wellington.

The Silver Ferns had a light two-hour training to start their build-up yesterday.

Midcourter Jenny-May Coffin sat out the session, resting a calf strain.

But she should be fit enough to join in the two court runs and a pool session today.

Anna Rowberry also took things lightly yesterday as a precautionary move still on the road to recovery from an ankle injury suffered in the Star Series final a month ago.

It was difficult to judge how effective the Proteas are from Saturday night's match, when all but one of the touring squad got court time.

But they definitely have height on their side - at both the shooting and defensive ends.

Irene van Dyk, at 1.9m, is certain to team up with Elsje Jordaan, 1.86m, under the post in the starting line-up for the first test. South Africa's goal keep, Leana du Plooy, is even taller at 1.91m and gave the Flyers attack a tough time.

New Zealand A had a decent warm-up to tonight's match, beating a team of ex-Silver Ferns, the Keas, 63-54, in Taupo on Saturday.