Joan Hodson: Golden day for a Silver Fern who's been there

At last we've nailed it.

That was my first thought at the final whistle yesterday. So close, so often only to fall at the last hurdle.

I was a player in the last Silver Ferns world championship-winning team, in Scotland in 1987, so it was a day for emotion rather than analysis as I watched the final unfold.

I remembered that in 1987, the underlying feeling in that squad was desperation. I was one of the young ones then. But the senior players like our captain Leigh Gibbs, now Silver Ferns assistant, Margaret Forsyth, Tracey Fear, Rita Fatialofa and Waimarama Taumaunu didn't want a repeat of Singapore 1983.

On that occasion, by all accounts, New Zealand should have won, but were narrowly beaten by Australia. The players who felt the pain of that loss were totally committed to preventing a repeat, and the thread of that ran through our squad.

I sensed a degree of that desperation yesterday. Anna Rowberry, Lesley Nicol and Belinda Colling had been down that road in 1999 in Christchurch, beaten by a solitary goal.

This time they got in front, after a wobbly start, and kept their noses ahead of Australia.

Much of that was to do with the quality of their performance, which I thought was terrific. But there were also strong mental elements at play - that sheer desire to show what could be achieved with a single-minded purpose.

I have felt New Zealand should have won world championships in the intervening years. Often we have looked the superior team in the pool and knockout games only to fall at the final hurdle.

From what I saw that was the same in Kingston, and I am sure they went into the final believing they were a better team than Australia.

The Australians looked geriatric at times by comparison. They played well below par yesterday and shot poorly. But even allowing for that, they are like a dog with a bone; they just don't let go.

So even though we had their measure through most of the final, it was nail-chewing time as Jill McIntosh's team wouldn't lie down. That's long been one of Australia's great qualities, and I'd like to think the Silver Ferns have now got a large dose of that spirit.

Of the Ferns, Irene van Dyk shot superbly and was absolutely critical to the victory. She was too good for Liz Ellis, Australia's rugged defender, and that takes some doing as Ellis has set the benchmark for goal keeps in the past 10 years.

But for me little Temepara Clark at centre was the real star.

She looked after her shooters, making their job as easy as possible by varying her passes cleverly. She had vision and executed very well.

When she was sent to the sideline for two centre passes in the fourth quarter my heart was in my mouth, as New Zealand could still have lost.

But it was New Zealand's day and I must admit I felt the emotion of the occasion at the final whistle. Sixteen years is a long time between parties and, as someone who has been there, I know it is a sweet feeling. No longer will we have to go back 16 years to find the last time we held the trophy aloft.

The trick now is to make sure we capitalise on yesterday. Don't make it a one-card trick.

Australia are losing a clutch of their long-serving players. They are rebuilding and this is New Zealand's chance to cement itself at the top of the pole - where we belong.

Let the Aussies spend a few years trying to catch us instead of the other way around.

* Joan Hodson is a former Silver Fern and top international umpire and now coaches the Auckland Diamonds.