Silver Ferns too predictable: Willering
Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering has criticised the side’s weak attitude and insists it must improve if they are to challenge for gold at April’s Commonwealth Games.
New Zealand return to the court for the first time since October’s 4-0 Constellation Cup mauling against Australia in the Quad Series, starting against England in London. Willering was dismayed by how meekly the Silver Ferns crumbled in those matches when the pressure went on and Australia scored a run of goals, highlighting a lack of mental toughness.
She wanted the side to be less predictable in their play and combinations, while also stressing they needed to show greater fight in pressure situations. Distressingly, they got worse with each performance in the Constellation Cup, losing by 12 and 16 goal margins in the final two tests in Australia. The Diamonds edged them by three and eight goal buffers in the earlier matches on New Zealand soil.
“If that same team goes in again with the same attitude this year, they’re going to be in trouble, Willering said.
“We did the talk and talked about different things we were going to do, but it just never eventuated. They just lacked the links with each other and I think basically the ends were disjointed ... We just weren’t up to it.” England, who beat the Silver Ferns twice in five tests last year, will provide an accurate yardstick just where the team is at 12 weeks out from the Commonwealth Games.
The Silver Ferns will be desperate to regain confidence and build fluent connections after morale took a battering during the Constellation Cup clean sweep.
Coach Janine Southby stayed loyal to her players with wing attack Gina Crampton the major casualty and veteran midcourter Grace Kara (nee Rasmussen) recalled. After the Quad Series, New Zealand have one final tournament, The Taini Jamison Trophy, in Auckland from March 21-24 against Jamaica, Malawi and Fiji.