Noeline Taurua has quickly turned the Silver Ferns into world champions. Photo /Getty
Noeline Taurua has quickly turned the Silver Ferns into world champions. Photo /Getty
Noeline Taurua is a netballing genius.
How else do you explain her 11-month transformation of the Silver Ferns?
From rock bottom to World Cup champions, sporting resurrections don't come any more seamless.
No other netball figure could have guided the Ferns to an unlikely World Cup final victory over Australia today in Liverpool, from fourth-ranked in the world, not so soon after last year's Commonwealth Games capitulation where New Zealand lost to Malawi and failed to medal for the first time.
First stunning England 47-45 on their home court, in an intimidating, fever-pitch atmosphere, and then defeating defending champions Australia by one point in the final is an astonishing feat after such near nadir.
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The same England that pre-World Cup were destined, certainly determined, to prove their Commonwealth gold medal was no one-off upset. They strutted, chests puffed out, only to be upstaged.
The Ferns were written off, scoffed at, all locals scripting an English finale with Australia; a repeat of their Games gold medal match.
With a quiet confidence in her 12-strong squad, Taurua had other ideas.
New Zealand players celebrate after beating England in the Netball World Cup semifinal, at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, Saturday, July 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
She first coaxed back influential veterans Laura Langman and Casey Kopua, then drove ruthless standards around fitness and responsibility, while throughout retaining faith her vision would click when it mattered most.
How right she has been.
Taurua doesn't mind rocking the establishment. She goes about building a culture in her own way.
New Zealand, Australia, Liverpool, wherever she goes, success follows.
"I know my way and the method to the madness. It's about going through each stage, building on our history with the silver fern and using that as a strength and progressing it," Taurua said before the final.
"There's always that question mark. I sort of knew but I had to wait and see. There's been a lot going on behind the scenes. Everyone has contributed.
"You can only plan and strategise so much. It's not until you get out there and put the action to the words. We're in the big dance and we already feel we've won in some respects, hopefully that will also allow us to release and play.
"We've been chipping away every day, and every time we're together, and it's starting to come together at the right time. I can't wait for tomorrow."
England players react after losing their Netball World Cup semifinal against New Zealand, at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, Saturday, July 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
The Ferns' one-goal defeat to Australia in their final group match, when they stormed back from eight down to almost level at the death, offered the first signs this side had turned a corner.
Despite blowing several leads and falling four behind at halftime in the tense semifinal against England, the composure and character to respond made victory that much more impressive.
And again it happened in the final. New Zealand were seven goals up at one point in the third quarter only for Australia to come back and cut it to just one. But the composure was there to secure a World Cup title.
