Netball: Coach wants improvement from both ends tonight

Coach Waimarama Taumaunu was disappointed with the Ferns' efforts on defence. Photo / Getty Images

The Silver Ferns' traditional netball strength is being targeted as the big work-on for the team as they prepare for their final pre-World Cup hit-out against South Africa tonight.

After an impressive 91-31 win over Fiji last week, the Ferns turned in a patchy showing against South Africa on Sunday, with the visitors drawing uncomfortably close in the second quarter on the back of a string of attacking errors from New Zealand.

Leading 16-9 at the first break, the Ferns just managed to hold on to their seven-goal advantage at halftime after South Africa closed to within one goal at one point in the quarter.

The Ferns went on to dominate the second half to claim a 68-44 win.

Coach Waimarama Taumaunu didn't see any need for alarm about the side's second-spell slump, putting it down to uncharacteristic errors from individuals.

"I didn't think there was panic, we made some errors consecutively, which were pretty uncharacteristic, but we still pulled ourselves together and I was really pleased that we kept letting the ball go," she said. "The courage to keep letting ball go is something we've talked a lot about and tried to work on and I think that culminated in some lovely plays towards the end of the evening."

The Ferns did not adapt quick enough, says Casey Kopua. Photo / Getty Images

But the New Zealand coach was less forgiving of the team's effort on defence.

She was disappointed the defensive pairing of Casey Kopua and Katrina Grant, and later Leana de Bruin, struggled to cut off the long bombs dropping into Proteas shooter Lenize Potgieter. The young shooter netted a game-high 39 goals, missing only four attempts in a player-of-the-match performance.

"We gave the South African shooter far too much room and she converted really well," said Taumaunu.

"In the ANZ Champs, those diagonal feeds generally aren't what we come up against, so I don't think we adjusted well to that. The [long ball into the circle] creates a lot of opportunities to get ball and we didn't take them, we watched them a bit like stunned mullets really."

Kopua, who played a full match at goal keep on Sunday, said she was disappointed not to make more of an impact.

"We didn't adapt quick enough, but by the time the last five minutes of that second quarter came, it was coming along. I was probably in the right places, but not getting up to get the ball," she said. "We haven't played that style for a while, it was another step-up from Fiji and I didn't step up with it."

Although the focus in the tight turnaround between tests has been on being more disruptive on defence, Taumaunu said she would also like to see the attack end take a step up, after committing 20 turnovers on Sunday night.

It is yet to be determined whether star shooter Maria Tutaia will feature in that attack end tonight, with Ferns management holding off a decision on her fitness until the last possible moment. Tutaia was rested for Sunday's game after tweaking her ankle in training over the weekend, but took part in a full shooting session yesterday.

• Disrupt — Be more disruptive on defence against the accurate South Africans.

• Trim turnover — Trim their own turnover count, particularly in the attacking third.

• Play all goalshooters — Give alternate shooting lines more game time.

• Tonight, 7.45. Trusts Stadium, Waitakere.