Netball: Ferns' attacking woes resurface

Injury to Maria Tutaia before halftime against Australia in Melbourne forced further reshuffling in the attack end. Photo / Getty Images

One step forward, two giant steps backward.

Just when it looked as though the Silver Ferns were making some solid progress, their attacking woes resurfaced in Wednesday night's disappointing loss to Australia .

With the five-test series now level at one apiece, the Ferns will need to spark back to life in Brisbane on Sunday to avoid the blowtorch being applied during the New Zealand leg of the series later this month.

The 48-44 scoreline in Melbourne probably flattered the visitors in the end, with their spirited fightback in the final quarter masking an incredibly poor first three quarters.

The Ferns undoubtedly showed great resolve to claw back a 16-goal deficit midway through the third period to a more respectable four-goal loss. But there is a danger in thinking the Kiwi side will simply carry the momentum through to the third test in Brisbane.

New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken said her side would not be fooled into thinking they had sorted all their on-court issues after their phenomenal fightback in the final quarter.

"[Australia] were 16 goals up at one point in time and they obviously had relaxed so we don't think that last quarter has saved us in terms of the game," said Aitken.

"But what it did show in that last quarter is that when we let the ball go, score off our turnovers, we can really put Australia under pressure."

The bumbling form that plagued the Silver Ferns for most of last month's World Seven series resurfaced on Wednesday night, with wayward passing, footwork calls, poor decision making and spilt balls allowing Australia to dominate the middle part of the proceedings.

Aitken believes changes to the line-up were partially to blame for the lack of fluidity and general untidyness on attack, but she said her side should be able to adjust to the new combinations better.

The Ferns lost livewire midcourter Liana Barrett-Chase on the eve of the second test, which saw Canterbury's Maree Bowden introduced to the starting line-up at wing attack. An injury to shooter Maria Tutaia just before halftime forced further reshuffling in the attack end, with rookie Paula Griffin brought on at goal attack in her first test against Australia.

Temepara George was then moved to wing attack in the second half to help out Griffin, which saw Laura Langman move in to centre and newcomer Larrissa Willcox introduced at wing defence. Aitken said while all the changes had an unsettling effect, there could be no excuse for the number of basic errors committed in the match.

"I felt we really dug ourselves a huge hole ... We've got to be much more clever about what we do and we also have to execute those basics a lot more. We made some really silly mistakes, it was a chapter of error after error, which was just bizarre," she said.

"But we certainly acknowledge it was because Australia applied more pressure than they had done in the first game."

Aitken said a lot of time would be spent over the next few days ensuring there would be no repeats of their capitulation in Brisbane.

"We have to be really clear on identifying what it was both mentally and gamewise that meant that we did that and how we turned it around. Because it was phenomenal to be able to come back from that and the players have to really tap into what did they do both mentally and physically to address that."

Aitken expects to have Tutaia, who has been hampered by a quad injury in the past two games, available for the third test in Brisbane, which will boost their attacking prospects.

Another area that will come under attention in the coming days is the New Zealand defensive end, which for three quarters of Wednesday's match struggled to contain the slick and mobile shooting pairing of Sharelle McMahon and Susan Pratley.

"It was an area we didn't nail the way we needed to. We need to contest that front space a lot more, but in saying that we have to put pressure on through court. The ball was coming down at a rate of knots into that defence end, and that just makes it too hard on them.

"[Australia's] shooting averages weren't marvellous, but they just had too much ball. You can't win when the opposition has 14 shots at goal more than you."