Netball: Watch out, Muir warns Silver Ferns

Don't trust them, is former Silver Ferns coach Lois Muir's advice to Ruth Aitken after New Zealand's demolition of Australia in the one-off test in Auckland.

The world champions dominated the Australians in every facet of the game, but Muir believes it won't take much to turn things around before the Commonwealth Games in March.

"They only need to get a really accurate shooter or a really tall, aggressive defender and it sets a little bit of doubt in your mind. I wouldn't trust them."

Muir has been on the receiving end of a beaten Australian side.

In a three-test series in 1982 New Zealand beat Australia by 13 goals in the first test and sneaked a two-goal win in the second before Australia came back to win the final test 33-28.

"[Australian coach] Norma [Plummer] just needs to get the formula right. She is trying different wing attacks so she has a problem there which affects her shooters.

"Australia were out there working extremely hard as individuals whereas New Zealand were playing as a team. Once Australia get a combination that links they'll be a different team."

It was important to acknowledge that the conditions were right for the Silver Ferns in that they were at home, had great crowd support and a good team.

"Ruth [Aitken] will walk away from that game with a lot of things she will want to improve on and that is the good thing."

Muir believes the main thing New Zealand have over Australia at the moment is confidence.

Australia had "come to the party with a lot of aggression which they let affect their attacking game".

"I think they thought it would make New Zealand quiver in the corner. I think they lost their focus.

"It must be disappointing for Norma because some of those people have been around for a while. It is not like they are new kids on the block.

"New Zealand have got some new blood coming into the team, which must be good for Ruth."

Muir identified some areas for improvement.

"We were a bit hesitant to start with and turned quite a bit of ball over. We are still not giving Irene [van Dyk] great passes. We are still biffing the thing in there and hoping she will catch it. We looked a little bit slower in the last quarter on defence through court."