Netball: Silver Ferns beat Aussie blokes in Games lead-up

The Silver Ferns beat the New South Wales men's netball team in a training match in Sydney yesterday, as coach Ruth Aitken brushed aside Australian criticism her team were "past it".
The New Zealanders had lost to the men on Friday, but reversed the result to win 66-53 after five quarters.

It was a solid workout and gave Aitken the opportunity to test combinations ahead of next month's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, for which her side are favourites for gold.

Despite their 25-point thumping of Australia last October, Australian netballer Natalie Avellino last week said she thought the New Zealanders would be unable reproduce a similar performance come crunch time.

"I don't think New Zealand can play as well as they did in that match. I really think they've played their best," said Avellino, who plays for Southern Sting in the National Bank Cup competition.

Aitken said yesterday Avellino had to be confident in her own team and the Silver Ferns were taking her comments with a grain of salt.

"We feel there is more to improve with his team and that is what we are working on. We will leave that sort of talk to the Aussies," she said.

The Silver Ferns struggled to combat the height of the NSW men in their loss on Friday, but managed to do so yesterday.

"It was really well contested and we were pleased we got our flow a lot more. And we were craftier in getting the ball past their tall, agile players," Aitken said.

The team will train in Auckland on February 27 before leaving for Melbourne a week later.

Aitken said she was pleased with how the team's preparation was going.

"We know Australia will be a much better side next time around and we need to be a better side as well. That is our aim, but there is a long way to go before we think of the Aussies.

"England will be the big challenge for us in our pool play. We want to finish that pool on top. That is the number one goal at the moment."

The New Zealand A side will be in Melbourne to help in preparations the week before netball starts at the Games, while there will also be a game against the Australian Institute of Sport side.

- NZPA