KEY POINTS:
The Ferns' stunning reversal of form on Saturday night was not the only remarkable turnaround in the transtasman series.
After the match Australian coach Norma Plummer did a bizarre about-face over the officiating for the series.
The sometimes controversial Plummer slammed the performance of the umpires in the opening test for overlooking what were really some fairly benign indiscretions from the Silver Ferns. What then, would Plummer make of umpiring from Saturday night after New Zealand upped their defensive pressure and physicality several notches?
The unprecedented 38-31 scoreline was partly a result of some very lenient umpiring, with the match becoming somewhat of a free-for-all in the latter stages.
The media braced themselves for a post-match tirade from Plummer but it never came.
"I thought it was fantastic, I wish I was out there," Plummer raved when asked about the physical nature of the game.
The Diamonds coach went on to praise the umpiring of Jamaica's Chris Campbell and Maggie du Plessis of South Africa.
"I thought the umpires were great tonight," she said. "As far as the umpires go I would not trade having those two umpires for having an Australian and a Kiwi.
"I think they call what they actually see and I think we over-whistle in both countries sometimes."
Yet it was clear on the faces of the players that many in the Australian camp were seething at some of the umpiring decisions. Tenacious defender Mo'onia Gerrard and young midcourter Kimberlee Green, both of whom copped a great deal of whistle, looked ropable at times.
It's possible Plummer's change of tune was because she had nothing to gain by criticising the umpiring. Her comments earlier in the week were clearly motivated by the heavy penalty count against her side in the opening test, with Plummer keen on seeing that even out in the second.
Or perhaps it was because there was something about Saturday's match that made the Australian later reminisce about her own playing days.
"It's never changed. I can give you a blow-by-blow account of the 1975 world championships, it was no different then," Plummer said.
You can bet Plummer wasn't shy of a bit of argy-bargy on the netball court in her day, so she couldn't blame the Ferns for trying.
