Netball: Knee's the key as Willering turns to the bench

CAPE TOWN - An unforgiving court surface means coach Yvonne Willering will probably make full use of her bench for the Silver Ferns' first Tri-Nations netball match against South Africa.

It is also highly likely that captain and top defender Bernice Mene will be a non-starter for Saturday night's (NZ time) test to be played at the Cape Town Velodrome.

The Silver Ferns cannot afford to lose Mene for the test against Australia next week and the concrete floor at the Velodrome is considered too much of a risk for Mene's suspect knees.

The experienced Mene suffers from a degenerative knee problem.

The sprung wooden floors on which New Zealand and Australia play most of their netball is less stressful on legs and knees. Harder surfaces cause pain and swelling.

"We're constantly reassessing where her (Mene's) knee is at," Willering said. "It's not about whether she can play, it's more about the recovery.

"If we play her in the first game, is she going to be recovered enough to play against Australia for the next one? That's what I have to take into account."

Apart from three games against New Zealand A before departing for South Africa last week and a game against a Cape Town team, the Silver Ferns have had little competitive game time together.

There is a variety of combinations in each third of the court Willering can choose from for the South Africa match. But there is a real lack of depth in the key wing attack and goal defence positions.

The new-look team, who were only selected last month, are short on experience, particularly in the midcourt.

Seasoned campaigners Julie Seymour and Belinda Charteris, who are both pregnant, and Donna Loffhagen, who was unavailable for this tour, are notable absentees.

With the heavy schedule the players are undertaking on tour, the out-of-season factor and the playing surface, Willering said substitutions will play a key role.

"That's why it's been really important to try to get all 12 players up to scratch and that next step up," she said. "Some players are there but other's aren't."

Willering, who did some coaching stints in South Africa before taking over the national job, expects the Proteas to be tough opponents on home soil.

The South Africans have retained some old heads but also made an investment for the future by including youthful players.

Elize Kotze, part of the South African squad who caused the sensation of the 1995 world championships when they upset a much-fancied Silver Ferns team, was appointed coach in April.

Still finding her feet after a 1-2 series loss to England in May, Kotze has had the team together every weekend for the past three months.

"There has been no stability or security in the South African team for a long time now and I'm looking to improve that," Kotze said. "It is now quite a young group but our plan is to prepare them for 2003 (world championships) so this (tri-nations) is a good opportunity to start experimenting."

The new-look team, a strong sponsorship deal and television coverage for the tri-nations series has put netball in the spotlight in South Africa.

South Africa and Australia meet in the first match of the series in Cape Town on Friday morning.

- NZPA