Netball: Ferns buzzing over Samoa hit-out

Ruth Aitken says she's in no hurry to lock in a core of seven players and says the Samoa test is a great opportunity to test combinations. Photo / Getty Images

While there doesn't appear to be a great deal of anticipation from the fans over the Silver Ferns' first hit-out of the season against netballing minnows Samoa tomorrow, there is plenty of excitement in the Kiwi camp.

They may just be little old Samoa to the fans, but the fixture represents a lot more to the Ferns.

Tomorrow's one-off test in Porirua is about laying the foundations for their defence of Commonwealth Games gold in October and coach Ruth Aitken said the team has crucial objectives they wish to meet.

"The test and this week in the build-up to the game really provides us with the opportunity to establish the foundations of our game going forward, looking at the strategies that we want to use and just starting to bed them down," said Aitken.

"There's a lot of nervous excitement from the girls, because there is a lot of competition for places and they are very pleased they are going to get an opportunity to show their stuff."

With the inexperienced Samoan line-up unlikely to pose much of a threat to the Ferns, coaching staff plan to use the fixture as an opportunity to run a variety of combinations. Aitken said she is hopeful of getting all 12 players out on court tomorrow, although there is some doubt over recalled shooter Daneka Wipiiti, who joined the Ferns in camp only yesterday after suffering food poisoning.

"We'll need to see obviously how [Wipiiti] is, but our aim would be to get all 12 out if we could. I think it is a really good opportunity for us to look at some combinations and we feel we've got some real depth in this group, and we need to be able to play them," she said.

That means Ferns' newcomer Grace Rasmussen is in line to earn her first cap, while born-again netballer Anna Scarlett is also likely to be thrust into the action. It will be Scarlett's first game of netball this year but by all accounts she is quickly getting back up to speed, forming a lethal combination with captain Casey Williams in a training game this week.

With the Dehli tournament the key focus this year, it is likely the Ferns will continue to take the approach of testing combinations for their upcoming series against Jamaica and Australia.

Aitken said inevitably niggly injuries crop up during tournaments and "it could well be we end up with the last seven standing", therefore she needs to have a number of options up her sleeve.

"You've got to go in to Commonwealth Games and you've got to be able to play all 12 confidently and we're certainly not at the stage where we feel we have a playing seven and a bench, and we don't want to be at that stage for a wee while down the track."

Aitken said any changes to the line-up need to be balanced against the dual aim of performing well, so it won't simply be a case of revolving her bench.

"We do want to play with more than a top seven through all our build-up games this year, but at the same time we want to build momentum going in to Commonwealth Games, which comes from confidence and performance. So our aim will be to be able to make changes during the year, but not lose our tempo really."

Surprisingly, tomorrow's match will be just the fourth time the two sides have met, and only the second meeting outside of a world tournament.

The Silver Ferns have won all three previous games with the closest margin being 29 goals. While tomorrow's test won't be a tight tussle to keep spectators on the edge of their seats, Aitken believes it will still be hugely beneficial for the team's preparation. And while as Ferns coach it is not her objective, she said it is great for Samoa to have these opportunities as well.

"They've been in camp this week during the build-up and I think it's wonderful for them as well in terms of their preparation."

Samoan coach and former Silver Fern Linda Vagana said it is crucial her side are exposed to top-level international competition and would like to see more matches between the two Pacific neighbours in future.

"It helps in terms of getting the opportunity to measure yourself against one of the world's best. But not only that, we need any sort of international match. The more international competition you're exposed to the more chances we have to grow as a team," said Vagana.

"I think the opportunity given to us by Netball New Zealand is a great one and it's all about being highly competitive and you can't get that without international matches."

SILVER FERNS' SCHEDULE

Commonwealth Games build-up
* Tomorrow: 2pm Silver Ferns v Samoa, Porirua
* August 18: 7.30pm Silver Ferns v Jamaica, Christchurch
* August 21: 7.30pm Silver Ferns v Jamaica, Napier
* August 29: 5pm Silver Ferns v Australia, Adelaide
* September 2: 7.30pm Silver Ferns v Australia, Wellington
* September 5: 4pm Silver Ferns v Australia, Auckland