Netball: The ultimate challenge

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken (left) and captain Casey Williams. Williams admits that Australia will be tough even when they are not at full strength. Photo / Getty Images

The Silver Ferns insist Australia's injury woes have not taken any edge off the five-test series beginning in Sydney tomorrow.

Australia have been forced to field an under-strength side for the series, with virtually their entire defensive line-up wiped out through injury. Key defenders Bianca Chatfield (knee), Laura Geitz (hand) and Mo'onia Gerrard (ankle) have all succumbed to injury in the lead-up to the series, leaving coach Norma Plummer with no option but to field a largely untested defensiveline.

Plummer's injury crisis deepened during the week with Australian vice-captain and star midcourter Natalie von Bertouch suffering a chest injury in her side's 52-43 loss to the World Seven in Adelaide.

Von Bertouch, who was still in Adelaide yesterday, is rated as a 50-50 prospect for tomorrow's opening test, but will almost certainly be back in action later in the series.

In the meantime, Australian coach Norma Plummer has threatened she may have to take the court herself if her side suffers any more injury setbacks.

In netball there is nothing jucier than a transtasman clash. But with the Australian line-up missing key players, it has taken some of the sparkle out of the classic contest for many sporting fans.

However, Silver Ferns captain Casey Williams said that while she was disappointed not to be able to take on a full-strength Australian line-up, the players still held the series in the same esteem.

"I think every one of the girls is really excited about the series, no matter who [Australia] put out on the court. You never go into a series against Australia thinking it won't be an intense battle.

"[The injuries in the Australian camp] are really disappointing, but that's life, that happens. I've been there, we've been there as a team and I guess it's how you react to that and deal with what you've got. And we know Australia have got a lot of talent so even when they're not at full strength they're going to be extremely tough," said Williams.

Neither side has been in startling form in the lead-up to the series. The Silver Ferns had a shaky start to the international season, losing to the composite world team 2-1 in their recent home series. While the Ferns showed major improvement to beat the composite team in the final test, they still look a long way off their best as they try to bed down new midcourt strategies.

Australia, meanwhile, obviously still at sixes and sevens after the loss of three first-rate defenders, looked out of sorts in their first hit-out of the season against the World Seven. Diamonds captain Sharelle McMahon said her side were extremely disappointed with their performance, with poor execution and a lack of finish letting them down.

But McMahon said that while her team were well below par on Wednesday night, the loss had not dented their confidence any heading into tomorrow's opening test.

"One of the traits of the Aussie netball team is that we have confidence and we back ourselves to be successful. So although we had a bit of a down second half on Wednesday night, we'll pick ourselves up and go in with real confidence," said McMahon.

She believes it will take only a little bit of tinkering to get the Australian side back up to speed.

"It's just the combinations and different things we need to work on to ensure everything clicks in to place."

While there are some gaping holes in the Australian defensive end, the return of McMahon, who sat out the 2008 international season after minor knee surgery, ensures the Diamonds will at least be back to their lethal best in the shooting circle.

Charged with trying to stop the much-vaunted Australian frontline will be McMahon's Kiwi counterpart, Williams.

The New Zealand star rates taking on the veteran pairing of McMahon and Catherine Cox as the ultimate challenge for a defender, but believes it will take a full-court defensive effort to upset the Diamonds attack line.

Coach Ruth Aitken said it would also mean a change in defensive strategy from that which they employed against the World Seven.

"The defensive style will need to be different with Australia having a much more mobile shooting circle versus the Catherine [Latu] and Romelda [Aiken] kind of factor that was happening in the world series. We need to change our focus to countering that short, sharp game of the Australians."