Silver Ferns pull away to beat South Africa

Bailey Mes of the Silver Ferns loses the ball. Photo /Getty

Silver Ferns 68 South Africa 44
South Africa have provided Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu with a better guide of the relative strengths of her different combinations ahead of the World Cup, and she probably didn't get the answers she would have liked.

The visitors gave the Ferns an almighty hurry-up in the first half of tonight's test in Hamilton, in what was New Zealand's penultimate hit-out before they head to the World Cup in Sydney.

Trailing 17-9 at the first break, South African closed to within one goal just minutes before halftime. The Ferns managed to pull away just before the break to restore their seven-goal lead as the headed into the dressing room, but they still did not look confident on attack.

Young Steel midcourter Shannon Francois, who is being trialled at centre with Laura Langman pushed back to wing defence, struggled to assert herself on attack, finishing her 30-minute spell with just three goal assists.

It wasn't until Langman reverted back to the more familiar role of centre in the second half, that the Ferns attack were able to kick into gear, with the midcourt veteran offering more assertive drives and better quality ball into shooters Bailey Mes and Jodi Brown.

By three quartertime the Ferns had raced out to a 52-34 lead, before closing out a comfortable 24-goal victory.

The Silver Ferns will meet South Africa again tomorrow in Auckland in their final test hit-out before their opening match of the World Cup against Barbados on August 7.

The Ferns made just one change to their starting line-up from their 91-31 win over Fiji in Porirua last week, with Jodi Brown given the nod at goal attack ahead of Maria Tutaia, who was rested from the match after suffering an ankle tweak in training over the weekend.

Brown would have likely started tonight regardless of Tutaia's fitness, having impressed with her delivery of ball into the circle against Fiji. The veteran shooter further pushed her case tonight, finishing with a handy 32/39 return, while Mes netted 36/43 but was expensive in other areas, picking up three offensive penalties.

Meanwhile, down the other end of the court, Lenize Potgieter put on a shooting clinic, netting 39/43 to pick up the player of the match award.

With less than two weeks before the Ferns take on Barbados in their World Cup opener, tonight was all about meeting their own targets - both individual and collective - whilst continuing to test out new strategies on both attack and defence.

The South Africans, led by former Australian coach Norma Plummer, would have provided the Ferns with plenty to think about.

But Taumaunu will at least be happy with the performance of her second half defensive line-up with the addition of Leana de Bruin (GD) - the only player not to take the court in Porirua last week - and Kayla Cullen (WD) at halftime providing plenty of defensive spark.
The two sides meet again tomorrow night in Auckland.