Ferns halt drought
New coach Taurua records first victory over Australia after her side produce stunning display in Hamilton
It’s the moment Kiwi netball fans have been waiting for. The Silver Ferns finally ended their ninegame losing streak against the Australian Diamonds to claim their first Constellation Cup win of this series at Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena yesterday.
After showing patches of promise during the first two tests in Australia, losing 57-42 in Brisbane and 56-47 in Townsville, the Ferns finally proved they know how to win — and how to win well.
Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman, who led her powerful midcourt from the front, said it was special to claim a first win over their rivals in 13 months on home soil.
“It’s really nice to be fair and I think there’s no place like home to do it,” Langman said after the clash.
“Ultimately for us, it just reinforced that what we’re doing, we’re on the right track.
“We knew it was there and we just had to be patient . . . for me, the win is really a reinforcement that our processes, when we get them right, when we have the discipline and patience to stick to them, the scoreboard takes care of itself.”
Silver Ferns head coach Noeline Taurua was pleased to add a win against Australia to her short record in charge of the national side but was hesitant to get too excited, urging that there were still plenty of areas she wanted to address.
“From my end, I can just see the gaps. I know that sounds terrible but I can see room for improvement,” Taurua said.
The decisive victory restores hope the Silver Ferns could claim the annual Constellation Cup for the first time since 2012, although they need to win by at least 14 goals in Wellington on Thursday night to pull it off.
“It’s within our grasp to not only win the [final game] but also the Cup as well, so I’m absolutely rapt we’re still in the game, but we’ve got to be able to put it into action.
“Great improvements from where we were and it’s great to get the [win] on the board . . . [but] time will tell whether we can back ourselves up.”
Down by a one goal after the first quarter, Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander called Caitlin Bassett on at goal shoot after starting her on the bench, but even the Australian captain couldn’t stop the Ferns’ fast pace, producing an uncharacteristically average shooting performance.
At the other end, Maria Folau (40 from 41) and Te Paea Selby-Rickit (15 from 22) played on with a 100 per cent shooting rate in the second quarter, aided by a forceful Ferns midcourt featuring stellar efforts from Gina Crampton and Samantha Sinclair.
Ferns defender and player of the match Jane Watson was in sublime form, picking up vital rebounds and intercepts to win her side plenty of turnovers. And unlike recent games, the Ferns treasured possession, capitalising from almost every opportunity they were given to stun their opponents with a four-goal halftime lead. They kept the world champions in unfamiliar territory with a five-goal deficit heading into the final quarter.
Pulling ahead by 14 in the fourth quarter, the Ferns made sure they kept the pressure on their rivals right until the final moments to steal the show and finally deliver a passionate home crowd that winning feeling.