Source: Radio New Zealand
Silver Ferns Grace Nweke with England Francesca Williams during game 2 of the Taini Jamison Trophy Marty Melville
The Silver Ferns are determined to finish an intense three months of netball, which will be remembered against the backdrop of a turbulent coaching saga, on a high.
The England Roses bounced back to beat the Silver Ferns 61-58 in London on Monday, after New Zealand took the first game by three goals 24 hours earlier.
Thursday’s final test in Manchester to decide the series will be the Silver Ferns 12th test in the space of two months.
The Silver Fern’s international window started with a three-nil series sweep over South Africa in September, just days after Netball New Zealand announced that coach Dame Noeline Taurua was being stood down due to issues in the environment.
They then met the world champion Diamonds, and after suffering two big losses on Australian soil, they looked like a different team during the second leg of the Constellation Cup series in New Zealand.
The Silver Ferns won the next two tests and only narrowly lost the Cup after a one goal loss in series decider time.
A few days later, the squad flew to Scotland where they beat the Thistles twice, before heading to London to meet the Roses.
With nothing much separating the two teams, the series against England is ideal preparation before next year’s Commonwealth Games. It’s quite possibly the Silver Ferns last hit-out before the pinnacle event next July, with no other tests scheduled.
While Dame Noeline was reinstated last month, she was not returned for the remainder of the international season to “minimise disruption” to the Ferns camp. Yvette McCausland-Durie has been at the helm as interim coach for the entire 2025 international season.
Grace Nweke, who shot 53 and 51 in the opening two matches against the Roses, said they want to come home with the trophy.
“The ability to win under pressure is something that we have shown in Constellation Cup but we weren’t able to take that trophy out and so we’re trophy hungry, we want that successful moment,” Nweke said.
“England are a very confident, proud team and that showed in their win and to beat them at home would be huge for us and huge in preparation for what it will be like playing away at Comm Games.
“It’s been a really challenging season for us and I think above all for the group of girls, the 14 who have had to live through it …it’s been huge and to finish on a high would mean a lot for our group for the people who have been a part of it from day one.”
Nweke said it had been a tough period but the team had shown a lot of resilience.
“To still be here …still connected, still showing up for each other, looking out for each other …proud of the group and to get that win would be a nice way, I guess a silver lining for our group in what’s been a really big year.”
Recovery will be key for the Silver Ferns as they prepare for their final test of the year after two games in two days. The two sides are at opposite ends of their seasons, with this series marking the start of the Roses international window.
Nweke said the fatigue of a long season was creeping in but the 23-year-old said they have to be able to play through that.
“The girls have put in a power of work to be able to play, be fit and strong. It’s been a long season and both physically, emotionally and mentally the girls are feeling it. So one more game where we are equally excited to win that game as we are to see the season through.”
The through court attack was laboured at times during the second test and the New Zealand defenders weren’t able to win much ball particularly in the second half.
The third quarter has proved problematic in both tests and Nweke said they needed to address on-court lapses faster.
“I think our CPAs (centre pass attack conversion rate) are a key issue for us at the moment and just not being able to get that depth, or that first and second [phase] has been a big issue …there needs to be a bit more direction and urgency around how to fix that and just the confidence to take it on.”
Nweke credited Kate Heffernan for another strong game at wing defence. “The intent from Kate back there to will us through the game to turn over ball out of nothing, some individual strong performances from her.”
McCausland-Durie said they had opportunities in the second test but didn’t make the most of them. She also credited the England shooters, who were prepared to shoot from range.
Star goal attack Helen Housby shot 23 goals at 96 percent and Liv Tchine shot 38 at goal shoot. In contrast, Nweke scored 51 of the Silver Fern’s 58 goals.
McCausland-Durie said England put them in uncomfortable feeding positions.
“We got caught quite wide and then made us pass some of the things we didn’t really need to put in and put ourselves under a lot of pressure with a few turnovers that I felt we were a little untidy at times and we got a little bit stressed and pressured and they created that as well.”
She said better execution and finesse were needed.
“And continuing to build our resilience and our ability to perform under pressure, as what that looks like in terms of playing it to circle edge and taking really good care of ball.”
The final test on Thursday starts at 8am.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand