KEY POINTS:
A "humming" Australia are the team to beat at the world netball championship, former Silver Fern Belinda Colling says.
Colling has experienced both sweet victory and bitter defeat against the Australians, in the 2003 and 1999 world champs respectively.
Both those games came down to the narrowest of
margins - two goals in 2003 and just one in 1999.
But Colling believes the gap this time round will be wider.
"I've got to back New Zealand, being a New Zealander, because I do think they've got the potential to do it, and I'm just hoping they can," she said.
"I think the Aussies have probably got the upper hand at the moment, and they go into the tournament as definite favourites.
"I say that because the last couple of series Aussie have come out on top, and it hasn't just been one or two goals, its been 10 goals in the last game."
Australia was "really humming", particularly through their midcourt, whereas New Zealand were struggling in that area.
Colling has had two children since being part of the victorious 2003 team in Jamaica but remains involved with the Silver Ferns, helping with training and focusing on the attacking end.
Her vacancy at goal attack has been hard to fill; Jodi Te Huna, her understudy in Jamaica, was forced out of the 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning team with a ruptured knee ligament just as the Games began.
Te Huna's understudy, Maria Tutaia, stepped up at the Games but both have since been patchy, especially in three tests against Australia just three months ago, in which New Zealand went down two-one.
"Neither of those two have had a huge amount of court time against Australia, and that counts for so much because it's like nothing else, going up against Australia," Colling said.
"Both those players are really lacking that, so we need to cut them a little bit of slack. They're both reasonably young and really talented. They're both capable."
But what it could all come down to is "survival of the fittest", given the format of the championships, Colling said.
The Silver Ferns would play six games in eight days, so remaining injury free and mentally strong was crucial.
"So if you pick up a couple of injuries to key players, it can really test a team," she said.
"How fit the team are - not just match fit but that hardiness about them to be able to go game after game is really, really important.
"Being able to win, to front up on that last day - they will be tired, so the mental stuff...there's just so much that can come into it."
- NZPA