KEY POINTS:
Jodi Te Huna hasn't always got her timing right, but now the Silver Ferns shooter is returning to the fore just in time.
One of the biggest revelations from the Silver Ferns' first-test trouncing of Jamaica two nights ago was Te Huna's leadership in the shooting circle.
On
the comeback from knee reconstruction, Te Huna proved a perfect goal attack to Irene van Dyk's goal shoot in the first half - busting through whatever defence Jamaica hinted at, and putting up shots from a distance.
When the former national basketball player returned for the final quarter at goal shoot, she fell into sync with Maria Tutaia and revealed a lucrative new scoring combination that will bolster the Ferns' arsenal for the world championship defence in November.
No argument, the Jamaican resistance was weaker than anyone expected and will hopefully, for the sake of the game, fortify for tonight's test.
But on Thursday night, the Silver Ferns shooters grabbed advantage of the dropped guard, playing three different shooting combinations to excellent effect.
Before Te Huna wrecked her knee, three days before last year's Commonwealth Games ("the worst timing", she says) she was shaping up as the form goal attack for the Ferns.
But it was a year before she would play again, and she admits she's still getting her confidence back.
"This was first test match back in New Zealand, and when I missed my very first goal I thought, 'Oh no!' But when the time came that I needed to take the shot, to turn and deliver, I did it," Te Huna said.
"With every game I'm getting better - more consistent.
"Now I just have to ensure I keep up with the intensity of international netball."
Tonight, Ferns coach Ruth Aitken should continue to foster her variety of options in the circle, to ease the reliance on van Dyk - who, incidentally, was in stunning form in the 44-goal victory.
"It's very important to us to build on this - to have three shooting lines was pretty special," Aitken said.
"It was absolutely great to see Jodi step up out there - she's back. She really leads in the front of the circle."
The Te Huna-Tutaia team were tested in the Ferns' trials and in training this week, and they knew it worked well.
"It's a different type of game to the one we play with Irene, and it's a luxury Ruth has," 26-year-old Te Huna said.
"The Maria-Jodi combination moves a lot more around the circle, we make room for each other, and we can shoot from far out.
"In this test, we all have to work on our availability. We get really good first and second phase ball, but sometimes that last pass to me, Irene or Maria is across court. We need to make sure we are ball-side to take it, and that it's non-contested ball."
While the Jamaicans had to go back to the whiteboard and dissect their game plan yesterday, Aitken admitted there was little that needed to be scrutinised in the Ferns' strategy.
"Everyone on court had a good one. Now we're looking to keep our structure and keep building on that game," she said.
"I was thrilled with our variety on attack and defence.
"We could play tight on defence and then drop into space without losing the links. Sometimes our attack was lightning fast, but Adine [Wilson] was in control of the momentum, and she could slow it down again.
"There was a calmness about the group, and I'm wanting to continue that."
While Laura Langman stepped seamlessly into her new centre role, she said she would like another opportunity tonight to "take another step up", after a few errant lobs into the circle found only the backline.
