Netball: Tri-Nations? Let's get it on, says Aussie coach

By RICHARD BOOCK

Australian netball coach Jill McIntosh has declared her side ready and waiting for next week's triangular tournament involving South Africa and the Silver Ferns.

The world champion Australians square off against South Africa in the Tri-Nations opener in Melbourne on Friday before the transtasman showdown the following night, and McIntosh said Australia were as ready as they were ever going to be for the looming challenges.

"It's a great concept and we are really looking forward to it," McIntosh said in Sydney yesterday. "As a coach, you would always like another day or two to get set, but this is the way it's turned out and I'm reasonably happy with the lead-in."

The Australian squad will not assemble until Tuesday because the players are still committed to their domestic Commonwealth Bank Trophy competition, with nine involved in last night's top-of-the-table clash between Adelaide and Melbourne.

McIntosh said that while it was a moot point whether the team should assemble earlier or keep playing in their respective league sides, she was happy enough for the national side to come directly out of the white-hot domestic competition.

And she warned that Australia were not about to start making excuses in advance, and were certainly not about to hide behind a claim of "rebuilding" as they prepared for the opening tests of the international calendar.

The home side had lost nine players since the 1999 Commonwealth Games and world championships, but had time enough to make the relevant adjustments, McIntosh said."We may have been rebuilding for a while, but we are definitely not in that category now and wouldn't try to hide behind it.

"At some stage you've got to stand up and say you're ready and that's what I hope will happen in this tournament. If not, well, I suppose we'll have to have another look at it."

Having lost key players such as goal-shoot Vicky Wilson and mid-courters Carissa Tombs and Shelley O'Donnell, Australia could be forgiven for appearing vulnerable. In fact, they look as formidable as ever, particularly after the return from injury of goal-attack Jacqui Delaney.

The defence end bristles with the power and experience of captain Kathryn Harby-Williams and goal-keep Liz Ellis, and the shooting end has proved there is life after Wilson, with Catherine Cox, Delaney, Eloise Southby and Sharelle McMahon - who finished the Ferns off in the world championship final - all genuine threats.

The last time Australia and New Zealand met was in South Africa in November, when Yvonne Willering's side cruised to a surprisingly comfortable win, in part easing the pain of the previous 23-goal defeat at Newcastle in June.

McIntosh was philosophical about the loss, putting it down to "one of those things" that coaches can neither predict nor explain.

"It was basically a case of New Zealand playing very well and us playing very poorly," she said. "It happens sometimes in sport. It was very similar to the blowout at Newcastle earlier in the year, but in South Africa it was the other way around.

"It's hard to pick when something like that's going to happen, but we would prefer it happened to the opposition next time."

The Silver Ferns assembled in Auckland yesterday and will play three practice matches against the New Zealand A side at Manurewa and Otara over the weekend.

They have another training session on Monday, and leave for Brisbane on Tuesday.

There, they will play two more practice matches, against the Queensland Firebirds on Wednesday and Thursday, before flying to Melbourne for the Tri-Nations.