Langman: We're looking at big picture

New Zealand midcourter Laura Langman has filed away an encyclopaedia of information on the Australian netball team over the last five years.
Langman has seen it all from the good - the Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning Silver Ferns in 2006 - to the bad, as the New Zealanders lost their world championship title to Australia in 2007.
Now, as the transtasman rivals prepare to do battle over three tests starting in Adelaide on Saturday, Langman is ready to put that wealth of knowledge to use.
But as much as she is itching to notch up another win, she is only too well aware that the bigger picture is more important.
The New Delhi Commonwealth Games are barely five weeks away, and New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken is timing her team's run with precision as they look to retain the title they took off Australia in Melbourne four years ago.
"It's a bit of a balancing act between getting combinations out there, but also really consolidating the combinations we want to see do the damage against Australia," Langman told NZPA yesterday.
"This is a great opportunity to source information about what they may put out there. Every outing against the Australians is an opportunity, and we've got three coming up."
Langman, who made her debut for New Zealand five years ago as a 19-year-old wing defence, has evolved into an outstanding midcourter with 55 caps to her credit.
Since her debut, New Zealand and Australia have met 22 times, with the Diamonds notching up 12 wins to New Zealand's 10.
All but four of those games have been won by margins of seven or less, although the last time the two teams met, in September 2009, the Silver Ferns piled on the points for a 52-36 win. In Adelaide on Saturday, the last game before Australian coach Norma Plummer makes the final cull of her 15-strong squad, Langman is expecting a much tighter game.
"The Australians are continually evolving. Watching their games against Jamaica, they're sharper than ever.
"I think their speed has picked up quite considerably since last year, and that's from watching and not even playing against them," she said.
Knowing they were playing for a place in the New Delhi 12 would really put the Australians under extra pressure, Langman said.
"It really adds acid to the mix for the Aussie girls. It's probably something we're kind of glad we're not under.
"We've got a high training load, and to put that on top could be a little bit stressful."
The Silver Ferns had not tapered for their 2-0 test series win against Jamaica last week, instead training through as they tested a range of combinations.
Langman said although the Silver Ferns racked up two big wins, the games had been important in terms of developing consistency and sticking to the gameplans.
"It was a real bonus, just getting time out there together and seeing what people do under fatigue, under pressure.
"Although it's tough now, it's going to pay dividends when we get to the Comm Games."
Having cemented their 12-strong squad, and worked through a range of gameplans, the Silver Ferns were ready to finetune the psychological side of their game, she said.
"I think the mental side of things will really start to kick in in this series."NZPA