SYDNEY - Australia's first netball loss in nearly two years prompted vice-captain Liz Ellis to heap grudging praise on the Silver Ferns.
In a column in the Australian newspaper yesterday, Ellis said New Zealand thoroughly deserved their 52-40 win in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, but added that her side were desperate for a rematch.
To turn around the 23-point transtasman loss in Newcastle five months ago showed that the Silver Ferns had worked very hard this year, she said.
The goal-keep tried to think of excuses after the loss, Australia's first since February 1999, but said they were all flimsy.
"We lost to a better team. That is the sad fact of our defeat," Ellis wrote.
"It irks me to say it, but they were better drilled, more intense and made fewer errors.
"It hurts to lose. I am a really sore loser. Show me a good loser and I will show you someone I don't want in my team."
Ellis said the positive factors to come out of the match were that Australia still forced 42 turnovers and that the young members of her team would benefit in the long term from the loss.
"It is good to know they have had a taste of defeat at the hands of the Kiwis. Nothing puts a greater fire in your belly for success than the thought of avenging a loss handed to us by the folk across the ditch."
Ellis marked influential New Zealand goal-shoot Irene van Dyk and was highly impressed.
She said the former South African international was now an obvious target for the New Zealand attack line.
- NZPA
Netball: Aussies' defeat hurting
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