Netball: Beaten English can only improve

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken believes England will be a different outfit come the first test in a week.

Aitken was courtside in Melbourne when a depleted England side, without five of their key players, were trounced by Australia 61-21.

"They will be disappointed, but I feel the focus of this tour [for England] is the three-test series against us, and that is the one they are looking to get things right for," Aitken said. "You add three or four different faces out there and it could be quite different."

Like New Zealand, England are very much lacking in experienced shooters. The retirement of Alex Astle and Abby Teare, combined with the loss of Tracy Neville and Amanda Newton through injury, has hurt the side badly.

But the return of Karen Greig, who missed the test against Australia because of work commitments, will provide some relief.

"Because they haven't got height in the shooting circle they don't play a lob kind of game," said Aitken. "They really do try and work the ball - a lot of pass and cuts, which is the Aussie style, and a lot of shorter passes."

England's midcourt will also be strengthened by the return of captain Olivia Murphy, who recently had foot surgery. Murphy's combination with Karen Aspinall, who made her debut for England in 1997 and played for Wellington's Capital Shakers, is one of the strengths in the English side.

Unfortunately the side will have to do without wing defence Jade Clarke, who injured herself in the lead-up to the Australian test. Clarke will return home after next Saturday's game.

Defensively England are also reasonably strong, with the towering figures of Geva Mentor and Sonia Mkloma, both over 1.80m tall.

The Silver Ferns last hitout against England was in the 2003 world championships, which they won 60-41. Since then former Australian international Marg Caldow has taken over as coach.

"They are looking fit and well conditioned, but it is just that experience level," Aitken said. "But I am sure they'll have another few games and get a few recruits back and are probably going to be quite different."

Aitken's trip across the Tasman also allowed her to check her side's greatest rival, Australia, who appear to be humming along.

"Australia played their whole 12 with not a lot of difference in the lines that they ran," Aitken said. "Sharelle McMahon was back after her layoff with her ankle injury. She was looking really on to it. Mo'onia Gerrard played at goal defence and she had really taken a step up from last year. Liz Ellis in her 100th test was doing some pretty starry things. So they are there and they are hungry. They are looking for us in June."

Aitken was quick to stress that it was unrealistic to expect New Zealand to equal if not better Australia's 40-goal margin over the English.

"There will be differences to England coming here, so you are comparing apples to oranges.

" They'll be a different team by the time they come to the series. We have to concentrate on our game and not worry about what happened before."

With the Commonwealth Games now just 12 months away, it would be in New Zealand's best interest for the series to be competitive.

Aitken said a series against the physical Jamaicans had been proposed and would hopefully take place before next March.

NZ V England

* March 12: Auckland
* March 16: Wellington
* March 19: Invercargill