KEY POINTS:
When sports teams lose, the coach's positive spin always describes it as a learning experience.
Going into the third and final netball test in a week against arch-rivals Australia tonight, New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken wants to do the same thing for winning.
The Australians took a match
in Auckland last Wednesday by seven goals, but the Silver Ferns came back with a vengeance in Melbourne on Saturday, winning 67-65 in extra time.
The New Zealanders had to come back from a 27-20 halftime deficit, which rose to a 10-goal gap early in the third quarter.
Aitken acknowledged there was plenty to learn from Saturday's result.
"We want to make sure we've learnt as much from the win as you do from a loss," she said yesterday.
"We want to make sure we don't allow any complacency to come in, and we want to build momentum.
"We learned it was great that we could come back from 10 goals down, but that's certainly not where we would like to be to start with."
Aitken said she wanted to eliminate the occasionally patchy nature of the Silver Ferns' play before November's world championships in Auckland .
"We need to look at four quarters of consistency."
She said among the positives for New Zealand from Saturday's game was the composure the team showed under the pressure of extra time.
The outstanding work done in the defensive circle on experienced Australian shooters Sharelle McMahon and Catherine Cox was also vital.
New Zealand goal defence Casey Williams, at the heart of that defensive effort with Joline Henry first, then Leana de Bruin, said the whole team had stepped up another level.
"The Australian shooters know we love the aerial game, so they try to keep it short and sharp, although they do throw the odd high ball in there," she said.
"The big thing for this tour is grinding - just keep on going and keep on staying alive because you never know what's going to happen."
Australian captain Liz Ellis said her team had also drawn some valuable lessons from Saturday's battle.
"It wasn't a result we wanted, but I think the game was a fantastic spectacle, a really tough encounter for both teams, looking at the world champs at the end of the year.
"We've gone away and learnt a lot from that game and I suspect the Silver Ferns have done the same thing."
The New Zealanders' job for tonight's test has been made marginally easier by the Australian decision to rest injured wing defence Mo'onia Gerrard for a further game.
"I'm not going to take the risk," Australian coach Norma Plummer said. "She's running very well, but I don't think we want to test the water just yet."
Plummer used her bench more extensively than usual on Saturday, and said she was still looking at some experimentation in Australia's last blow-out before November.
"We'll be sitting down and discussing that, but there will be some changes. I'm still going through that," she said.
Ellis agreed that it was important to use the bench as much as practical.
"No matter who's on court and what positions you're playing in, you absolutely go out for the win and you put everything on the line.
"But experimentation is really important because it allows us to see who can stand up to things and what different people in the team can do.
"You take a squad of 12 to the world champs, and you want to know you can put any single one of those players on court."
- NZPA
