KEY POINTS:
Believe it or not, the Silver Ferns can't wait to have another stab at Malawi, the Cinderellas of netball, in their defence of the world title in November.
New Zealand have drawn top African nation Malawi, the little-known Botswana and Wales in pool play at the world championships
in Auckland. If all goes to rankings and form, the Ferns are likely to again meet Jamaica in the semifinals.
Pool play will have more impetus than ever in this week-long world tournament, with three games in rapid succession before the quarter-finals. That's why Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken is hoping for a decent tussle with the Malawians.
"We welcome another shot at Malawi. We remember well how they kept us scoreless for seven minutes at the Commonwealth Games last year," Aitken said.
Although the Silver Ferns won that game 67-39, Malawi were the sweethearts of the tournament, announcing their arrival in international netball by toppling South Africa and finishing sixth.
The Ferns will get a preview of the grafting Welsh style when they play a practice match against them in England next week before their series against England and Australia.
When it comes to Botswana, Aitken reckons it may be better the devil they don't know. Botswana were the third African qualifiers behind South Africa and Malawi, and will make their debut at a world championship.
"Sometimes it's good not knowing anything about a team - it challenges you to get your act together, to keep tidy," she said.
The Silver Ferns, champions in 2003, will need to be on the ball from the get-go with the more condensed time frame.
The format of this year's championships has been changed to avoid the previous 80-goal routs that marred the reputation of the game. Regional qualifiers were held last year, so only the top 16 nations play in Auckland.
"It's such a short week this time, we are going to need to be sorted out from day one," Aitken said.
The top two teams from each pool will go on to the quarter-finals, where New Zealand should meet the second-placed team from group D - England, South Africa, Barbados or Malaysia. If New Zealand win that game, they are likely to meet Group C favourites Jamaica in the semifinals. In 2003, they beat the Jamaicans 56-37 to move into the final against Australia.
Former Australian coach Jill McIntosh said Australia would be happy with their pool opponents, hoping to get some feisty competition from top Oceania qualifier Samoa and the aerial Trinidad & Tobago before moving on to the serious end of the tournament.
The schedule of matches will be finalised by the end of the month.
World Champs: Waitakere, November 10-17
Group A: New Zealand, Wales, Malawi, Botswana
Group B: Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Samoa, Scotland
Group C: Jamaica, Fiji, Singapore, Cook Islands
Group D: England, South Africa, Barbados, Malaysia
