Netball: Aussie coach smells a rat named George

Norma Plummer (left) and team captain Liz Ellis at Auckland Airport last night. Photo / Martin Sykes

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Wily Australian netball coach Norma Plummer reckons she can smell a rat.

Touching down in Auckland last night, Plummer said she believed the host nation of this week's world championships was bluffing over pocket rocket Temepara George.

George, the star of the Silver Ferns' victorious 2003 world championships, withdrew from the side four months ago, but is on standby this week in case her centre replacement, Laura Langman, fails to recover from a foot injury.

While Langman came through her first training game with no pain yesterday, Plummer is adamant the Ferns will find another way to slip George back in.

"I just believe New Zealand has been pushing for quite some time to get her in. She's a great player, why wouldn't you?"

The eight-times-champion Australians have trained as though George will play.

"We've been training as if every New Zealand player who's ever been in the side is going to be there," Plummer said. "We've got to know the depth of New Zealand netball."

Although Australia have beaten the Ferns three times in four encounters this year, Plummer refused to accept the favourites tag: "I know New Zealand like to keep passing it on. But as long as they've got Irene van Dyk down one end they're still a force to be reckoned with."

Captain Liz Ellis, at her fourth world champs, agreed: "New Zealand are the outright favourites, and the rest of us are just trying to get their title."

Plummer is quietly confident. It's the first time in her four years as coach she goes into a series without anyone hurt.

At Auckland Airport, they were greeted with an "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" chorus from a cluster of fans. The TAB has Australia at $1.40 odds to win the tournament. New Zealand is paying $2.70.

"Lots of people at home are interested but netball's still pretty low-key over there. It was nice to go through our preparation and finish it all off under the radar," Ellis said.

The Australians will have a final hit-out with South Africa and Malawi before their campaign begins on Sunday night against Samoa.