New Zealand head coach Noeline Taurua celebrates with the Silver Ferns. Photo / Getty
New Zealand head coach Noeline Taurua celebrates with the Silver Ferns. Photo / Getty
They say life is like an arrow. Difficult times will pull you back but if you keep aiming, they will launch you into something great.
Perhaps that's the only way the Silver Ferns can now look back on the 2018 Commonwealth Games as they head into the Netball World Cupgrand final tomorrow morning (NZT) against the Australian Diamonds.
Discarded as the underdogs heading into this World Cup, most netball fans picked an England v Australia final with the Ferns taking bronze – or worse – returning home empty handed.
And to be fair, it wasn't a cheap prediction.
New Zealand's Jane Watson as the team celebrates the win. Photo / Photosport
Just 13 months ago, failing to medal for the first time in history at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the Ferns lacked everything to be a World Cup-winning side.
Dejected, run-down and ashamed, the Ferns exited the Games, heads low, with little hope of what the future held.
And with many of the players who were part of that devastating campaign making their return to the international court in this year's World Cup side, it isn't hard to understand why the Ferns were all but written off to make the final.
Of course, one of the most influential changes came last year in the form of now head coach Noeline Taurua.
Once snubbed by Netball New Zealand for the top job, Taurua made her return to New Zealand in August to take over the ailing side.
With great past success leading the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic to ANZ Championship glory and more recently, the Sunshine Coast Lightning to win back-to-back titles in Australia's Super Netball League, Taurua's CV certainly spoke for itself.
It was enough to spark hope among Kiwi netball fans that she might just be able to turn things around for the Ferns in time for the World Cup and avoid another embarrassing outcome.
New Zealand players celebrate after beating England during the semi final match. Photo / Getty
Although down-playing expectations that she would, Taurua always looked quietly confident.
Taking a team which lacked in self-belief, trust and direction to be driven by the words 'ruthless, united and determined' as written on the walls of their training room, Taurua lifted her player's heads high once again.
And as the Silver Ferns took to the court on Sunday morning in a do-or-die playoff against the England Roses in Liverpool, the side finally delivered a performance which Taurua had always promised would come.
Defenders hunted ball, attackers converted at vital moments and the midcourt moved with flow, patience and precision.
Now it's not all over yet, yes we still have a grand final to play and the Australian Diamonds will undoubtedly bring the heat, but there is something very special about this semifinal win.
A turning point in not only the Ferns' World Cup campaign but New Zealand Netball as a whole, the Ferns will carry the significance of this win long into the future.
The Silver Ferns proved they are back, proved they do have what it takes to lift the trophy and proved that the more you are pulled back, the further you'll go.
