Netball: Ferns get well-earned rest

A well-deserved break is on the agenda for the battered and bruised Silver Ferns, who returned home yesterday from their seven-goal win over Australia.

They have been advised to take a month off before they step up their preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March.

The build-up begins with the second one-off test against Australia in Auckland in October, followed by a tour of Jamaica shortly after.

Looking ahead to the Games, the 50-43 victory over Australia will be a great confidence boost for the New Zealand side, who not only beat the Australians but dominated them in every third of the court.

None more so than on defence, where Vilimaina Davu and Anna Scarlett caused a complete malfunction of Australia's shooting line-up.

Australia had five more attempts at goal than New Zealand, but shot only 67 per cent compared to 85 per cent for the Silver Ferns.

"We have worked hard this tour on the defence of the shot to really try to be a little bit more unpredictable and get the shooters thinking about what the defence are doing rather than just concentrating on their shot," coach Ruth Aitken said..

"We certainly know that Australia have got quality shooters and I think the fact we managed to force then into so many errors was just incredible."

The emotionally charged Davu was enemy No 1 for the 12,500 parochial crowd, who were incessantly calling for her to be sent off.

"She wears her heart on her sleeve, there is no doubt about it," Aitken said.

"Her passion shows through. She is aware that she needs to keep a little bit of a lid on it. She just loves the game, but boy, she doesn't want to let those shooters get anything."

Other positives to come from the match for New Zealand were the performances of 19-year-old wing defence Laura Langman and goal attack Jodi Te Huna.

With Australia's best option to plonk two defenders back on shooter Irene van Dyk, the Silver Ferns needed Te Huna to step up and share the workload, and she did.

Langman, playing her first game against Australia and fourth test for New Zealand, slotted in like a veteran, perhaps indicating the end is near for Lesley Rumball, who watched her protege from the sideline.

"I thought she was tenacious from start to finish," Aitken said of Langman. "She really stepped up."

While shooting depth has been a worry for fans on this side of the Tasman, Australia's woeful shooting display will be of concern to coach Norma Plummer.

"I think they have very good shooters, but they just weren't able to perform like they wanted to," Aitken said.

Once again the level of aggression was a talking point, but Aitken said she believed each side gave as good as they got.

"There is a huge amount of passion and no one wants to give a blimmin' inch.

"I think in the end we just absorbed the pressure much more than them, which was really heartening."

The physical nature of the game has turned the spotlight on umpires Anne Marie Dickson, from the Caribbean, and Beryl Lewis-Turner, from England, who have copped plenty of flak for their performance.

However, until the international body does something about improving the level of the international pool of umpires, little can be done.

"The speed of the game is so fast it is such a huge adjustment for them to make," Aitken said.

"I think they umpired fairly for both sides, and that is all we can ask for."