The Silver Ferns have blooded fresh talent and combinations in an unconvincing 63-41 win over the Scottish Thistles in Glasgow to kickstart their Northern Tour.
Yvette McCausland-Durie put out a much-changed lineup, with Grace Nweke and Maddy Gordon both rested entirely from the contest.
Carys Stythe earned a starting debut at goal keep, while Parris Mason had a rare start at wing defence.
Scotland recorded their highest-ever score against the Ferns. However, they were hamstrung by miscommunication and looked shaky in the circle, shooting at 70.7% overall.
Martina Salmon picked up MVP honours, shooting 33 from 37 across both goal attack and goal shoot.
On Sky Sport, she said they did their best but can lift things to another level.
“Lots of mistakes, but a lot of learnings to take forward to the next game.
“Just the finishing touches. A lot of balls went out the court and little mistakes. I think we can just come together, gather ourselves again and figure out what we need to do for the next game.”
Skipper Karin Burger snatched two early intercepts in the goal defence bib, and Stythe was heaping pressure on Scotland goal shoot Emma Barrie from the outset.
New Zealand scored nine consecutive goals in the opening quarter to take control, with Amelia Walmsley looking assured back in her preferred goal shoot bib.
The Ferns were sloppy at times. A couple of communication errors in the circle saw turnover ball, and wing attack Peta Toeava threw an easily intercepted pass.
However, they did enough to conclude the opening quarter with a 16-10 lead.
Stythe started the second quarter with her maiden test intercept.
Centre Kimiora Poi showcased her trademark speed and regularly found Walmsley next to the post, whom Salmon worked to draw the defence away from.
Burger picked off her third intercept and Mason did well to keep the turnover ball from bouncing out of bounds.
The Ferns won the second quarter 17-12 for a 33-22 halftime lead.
Goal keep Kelly Jackson, goal defence Catherine Hall and wing defence Kate Heffernan started in the third quarter. Mila Reuelu-Buchanan swapped in for Toeava at wing attack, while Walmsley and Salmon switched positions in the circle.
Hall continued her blistering Constellation Cup form, forcing a pair of turnovers in the circle.
However, the Ferns took time to find rhythm with all the changes. There was the odd breakdown in communication between Walmsley, Salmon and Poi.
Scotland had their own troubles. The inaccuracies continued in the circle, and a pass to no one sailed out of the bounds.
The messy third quarter ended 15-11 in favour of New Zealand, giving the Ferns a 49-33 advantage heading into the final stanza.
Reulu-Buchanan swapped into centre for Poi. Her connection with Salmon was shaky, with a couple of passes missing the mark.
New Zealand were sloppy to finish, throwing some intercept passes and giving the Thistles opportunities.
However, they cleaned up the fourth quarter 14-8 to start their Northern Tour on a positive note.
Game two against Scotland is on Wednesday morning.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.
The Silver Ferns have taken the same squad on the Northern Tour that almost produced a memorable comeback in the Constellation Cup series.
The national selection panel confirmed no changes to the squad that drew the series 2-2 with Australia before losing the extra-time period to decide the Constellation Cup.
The Silver Ferns play five tests in Great Britain, two against Scotland before a three-match series against England.
Silver Ferns interim head coach Yvette McCausland-Durie said the tour would be an important step in the team’s development as they look ahead to future international campaigns.
“This group has made significant progress across the past few months and the Northern Tour gives us another opportunity to test that growth against quality opposition,” McCausland-Durie said.
“We’ve seen individuals really step up in recent series – gaining confidence, learning to adapt under pressure and strengthening their connections on court. This tour will allow us to continue that development while refining our style of play.”
McCausland-Durie said she was pleased to see the blend of established players and rising talent continuing to evolve.
“There’s a great sense of momentum in this group. Each athlete has shown real commitment to improving and we’re excited to see how that translates on court against Scotland and England.”
Karin Burger, Maddy Gordon, Catherine Hall, Georgia Heffernan, Kate Heffernan, Kelly Jackson, Parris Mason, Grace Nweke, Kimiora Poi, Mila Reulu-Buchanan, Martina Salmon, Carys Stythe, Elisapeta Toeava, Amelia Walmsley.
November 9 – Scotland v New Zealand, Playsport Arena, Glasgow
November 11 – Scotland v New Zealand, Playsport Arena, Glasgow
November 15 – England v New Zealand, Copper Box Arena, London
November 16 – England v New Zealand, Copper Box Arena, London
November 19 – England v New Zealand, AO Arena, Manchester