Netball: Dame Noeline Taurua sees plenty of silver linings for the Silver Ferns

Maia Wilson has led a young shooting Silver Ferns group in the Quad Series. Photo / Getty

Two defeats in consecutive Quad Series games have at least produced plenty of silver linings for the Silver Ferns.

Falling short against their chief rivals for Commonwealth Games gold is perhaps not ideal preparation for that tournament, but it's also far from a death knell.

The same thing happened in 2019, when the Ferns finished third in the Quad Series before winning the World Cup in Liverpool, making this a familiar position for Dame Noeline Taurua.

And equally crucial for the coach is what losses to Australia and England in this Quad Series have revealed about her experimental side.

"There's clear areas that we've identified," Taurua told Newstalk ZB. "One that everybody would know would be the momentum shift.

"We were up by six in the first quarter [against England] and we didn't react fast enough in the second quarter when they came back.

"When we looked at the video, it was something like five minutes of the second quarter when we let a lot slip, and that's probably similar against Australia in the first quarter. "There's common threads that are coming through and we're not quite learning. So it's how we can ensure that we don't let errors happen consecutively."

Those errors have generally come from an individual turnover rate that Taurua identified as too high, calling for more "personal responsibility" from her players when choosing to keep or deliver the ball to a teammate.

That was been a particular hindrance for the Ferns in the attacking third but, with a young shooting group led by the level head of Maia Wilson (26 caps), that was to be expected.

"We're definitely stagnant down there and haven't had that same flow and rhythm," Taurua said. "We've got a pretty inexperienced shooting end, apart from Maia, and she's still quite inexperienced at the international level.

"So we're not quite clear across that line with regards to the connections. We have to work through that to make it better and create a bit more space."

Facing the pressure of Australian and English defences has certainly played a role in that lack of space, which is why, despite the defeats, this week has still been invaluable for the Ferns six months before they head to Birmingham.

After the final group game and third-place playoff against South Africa, the young players Taurua is targeting for Commonwealth Games selection have only the ANZ Premiership to further press their claim.

"What I've seen with them taking the court has definitely showed up areas they need to work on in the ANZ," Taurua said. "We have so much space there and they can be real stars in how they play, but against England and Australia they're strangled through the type of defence they have.

"We're being not necessarily found out but it's very clear where our gaps are. Playing against South Africa is another opportunity to see if we can be better, but the second thing is then what we can do in ANZ to improve.

"We've got another six months until Commonwealth Games, so there's bit of time, but not unless you're put under the pump like we were against Australia and England."