They've recorded convincing wins over Fiji and South Africa, tested several alternative lines in each area of the court and closely replicated the relentless World Cup schedule. But there's still one area the new-look Silver Ferns side have not been tested in before they hit the court in Sydney: how the young players will cope when they're put under pressure.
The Ferns yesterday dispersed for a few days' down time after completing their pre-World Cup workouts with a convincing 67-28 win over South Africa. The next time the team reassembles will be at the airport next week before they board a plane to Sydney.
New Zealand coach Waimarama Taumaunu will feel much more comfortable about getting on that plane than she would have last week, after the Ferns largely met all their performance targets in their three matches of the Taini Jamison series, with the exception of a lacklustre defensive effort in their opening test against the Proteas. But there are still plenty of unknowns about this Ferns side.
Having never really been challenged across the course of the series, it is impossible to know how the New Zealand team, and in particular the two rookie shooters, Bailey Mes and Malia Paseka, will fare on the sport's biggest stage. Taumaunu acknowledged that while the shooters could try to mimic pressure situations in training, the reality is we won't find out what they're made of until those big moments occur.
"We won't know how they will go until it actually hits. In saying that, of the four [shooters] we've got two that I would place money on - if I was allowed to - under pressure," she said.
