The Silver Ferns are ready for battle against the Australian Diamonds. Photo / Getty
The Silver Ferns are ready for battle against the Australian Diamonds. Photo / Getty
According to Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua, the rebuilding stage is over.
Now it's time to fight.
The Silver Ferns' final campaign of the year will tip off in Brisbane on Sunday when the side play the first of four Constellation Cup tests against the Australian Diamonds.
It will be the second time the Ferns face their Australian rivals under the guidance of Taurua, with the first being a 60-55 defeat in the Quad Series two weeks ago.
Embarking on their second training camp this week in Auckland, it's still early days to expect huge improvements from the side which only a few months ago suffered shock losses to Jamaica and Malawi.
Noeline Taurua urged the Ferns to stop playing the victim on court. Photo / Photosport
But Taurua wasn't pulling out any excuses ahead of the campaign and said now was the time for New Zealand to fight back.
"We've got to start shifting our mindset to be really competitive to go for the win," she said, "[we need] to play to win without relying on what if, could of, or should of and saying that we're in a rebuilding stage.
"We need to play to win, we need to be physical on each other, and ruthless, and relentless."
Calling out the Ferns for not being tough enough after their recent loss to Australia, Taurua has made physicality a core focus for the national side this week as they prepare to better harness the Diamonds' tenacious style of defence.
Physical drills, one-on-one defence training, and the call for a shift in overall mindset have been key parts of Taurua's approach.
Stepping up to help guide the Ferns in the direction of their new coach's refreshing vision, captain Laura Langman believed that the Ferns were ready to set the scene for battle in their rival's backyard and said time to play the victim was over.
"We want to go out there right from the whistle and take the fight to them," Langman said.
The Silver Ferns have focussed on their physical approach ahead of Sunday's game. Photo / Photosport
"We don't want to lie down and be victims and wait for the fight to come to us ... we can fight to get back into the game but we need to be able to punch through and that's what we certainly highlighted and are training to produce.
"We have really set a precedent that when we hit the court we're stepping up from where we were the day before."
Taurua will name her squad to face Australia tomorrow afternoon with changes likely to be made as she continues to test combinations ahead of next year's World Cup.
The Ferns' first game against Australia will tip off on Sunday at 3 pm (NZT).
