Silver Ferns debut ‘a blur’ for Watson
After a whirlwind few days, things were all a blur for Jane Watson in her Silver Ferns debut on Saturday evening.
Missing the initial squad and instead playing for New Zealand A, the 26-year-old was then called into the Ferns on matcheve of their Quad Series opener against England in Auckland, before starring in a second-half cameo which helped batter England to a 65-39 defeat.
She couldn’t really remember what she was told by the coaching staff as she went on court, but Watson delivered the goods in her 30 minutes at goal defence, with a game-high four rebounds, a team equal-high three intercepts, a deflection and just four penalties to her name, as she linked brilliantly with new captain Katrina Grant.
Watson said it was ‘‘really surreal’’ and ‘‘very cool’’ to be singing the national anthem, but that she had no idea she would replace Phoenix Karaka and get a half of action.
‘‘No not at all. I sort of got the word at halftime going into the changing rooms, just to be ready, but up until then I was just ready on the bench cheering them on,’’ she said.
Whatever words new coach Janine Southby or assistant Yvette McCausland-Durie then tried to give Watson, were probably wasted, to be fair, such was the occasion she was caught up in.
‘‘I can’t even remember. Honestly, it was almost a blur,’’ Watson said. ‘‘I guess we’ve got a gameplan that we followed, so I just tried sticking to that, and communicating with Poley [Grant], and that definitely just helps a lot.
‘‘It was awesome. I was definitely very nervous at the beginning. But I guess once we get a bit of hand to ball, and you’re just communicating with the others, you just get onto it, and it’s just kind of like a normal game really.’’
Watson acknowledged the test match had a ‘‘different pressure’’, but that the transTasman league had been a pretty good grounding in terms of the speed of play.
Born in Christchurch, Watson then attended St Kevin’s College in Oamaru, then Lincoln University on a netball scholarship, and played for the Mainland Tactix from 2012-14, before a shift to the Steel last year did her wonders, with their excellent 2016 seeing her have a breakthrough season.
Watson felt maturing as both a player and a person was behind her rise to the top, along with developing consistency in her game.
‘‘Not too much changes when you play netball, once you’re performing consistently you’ve just got to keep it up and keep being mobile and go for ball.’’
The 1.81m Watson certainly did that and said she was ‘‘definitely happy’’ with her performance, while Southby was equally impressed.
‘‘Jane’s been on the radar for a couple of years. And I think the big thing for her this year’s been her consistency.
‘‘And I think for all players when you get that consistency you just get confidence, and you enjoy it, and it just becomes a little bit more natural.
‘‘She’s very active as a defender, she’s always after the ball and always hungry for it.’’
Southby also paid credit to the platform laid by the first-half defensive duo, and the work of Laura Langman and Kayla Cullen outside the circle, which helped Watson’s introduction.
With Watson having kept Storm Purvis on the bench during the Steel’s season, it was ironic that Purvis made the Ferns squad ahead of Watson, but now perhaps more ironic that Watson got a debut ahead of Purvis. Southby said while it may look like Watson had overtaken Purvis in the pecking order, that wasn’t how they saw it.
‘‘There’s lots of things that go into selection and there’s lots of factors that lots of people aren’t privileged to too,’’ she said. ‘‘So Jane has certainly taken her opportunities, and the fact that she’s actually really similar to Anna Harrison, and it was a like for like [switch]. There was just the opportunity to do it, and [we] felt it was the right time to do it the other day.’’
The Ferns’ next match of the series is against South Africa in Hamilton tomorrow night and it presents another great chance for the newer players. Watson said she’d just be grateful if she got the opportunity to play again, while Southby is facing the balancing act of giving people experience and gelling combinations.