Netball: Ferns eager to match Diamonds' fire

Romelda Aiken and the Sunshine Girls lost 3-0 to Australia but the Silver Ferns say the Jamaicans' explosiveness and athleticism is always a challenge. Photo / Getty Images

After watching the hapless Jamaicans get mauled by Australia last week, the heat is now on the Silver Ferns to match the ruthless efficiency of their transtasman rivals.

The Jamaicans arrived in Christchurch yesterday fresh off three big losses to Australia - including a 71-40 hammering in Sunday's third test on the Gold Coast.

They wrap up their tour Downunder with a two-test series against New Zealand beginning in Christchurch tomorrow and will be looking to make big strides after disappointing against the Diamonds.

Australia's smallest winning margin over the Jamaicans, ranked fourth in the world, was 21 goals. But perhaps more impressive was the way in which Australian coach Norma Plummer managed to juggle her extended squad of 15.

Plummer got all her players out on court over the course of the three-test series without sacrificing the team's performance.

The Diamonds team will be culled to 12 following their opening test against the Ferns in Adelaide at the end of the month.

With that series in the back of their minds, the pressure now goes on the Ferns to post similarly impressive victories in their two hit-outs against Jamaica this week.

Not only is there a series to win, but also that all-important psychological battle with their traditional foes, Australia.

New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken said while she doesn't want her team to become score focused, she admits the series is a key opportunity to give their rivals plenty to think about ahead of the Commonwealth Games in October.

"I think there will be that pressure on us to really make a statement with our games against [Jamaica], but probably in the end we have to make sure we don't get ahead ofourselves and think about how we want the final outcome," said Aitken.

"As soon as you start thinking 'oh we want to win by 30', you'll get yourself in trouble and you then underestimate Jamaica's ability to turn in quite a different game next time they turn out."

Missing captain and star playmaker Simone Forbes and defender Althea Byfield (among others), Jamaica aren't expected to provide a robust challenge for the Ferns this week.

Their performances over the two tests in Christchurch and Napier will be by no means a gauge of how they are expected to fare in Delhi.

Still, Aitken believes there is plenty to be gained from the two tests.

At full strength the Sunshine Girls will be a key threat to the Ferns' Commonwealth Games title defence and the upcoming series will serve as a handy refresher course in the unorthodox Caribbean style.

"You can't read too much into the results, but for us it is still about the experience and keeping our game plan to the forefront.

"They will change quite significantly with Simone Forbes back in - she's a real playmaker in there, and Althea will strengthen the base. So things will tighten up for them, but the style remains."

Veteran midcourter Temepara George believes getting your head around the Jamaican style is one of the most difficult challenges for an international netballer. For a defender it means timing intercepts differently, as the Jamaicans tend to throw more weighted, loopier passes. The explosiveness of the Caribbean athletes also makes it tricky for defenders to keep track of their opponents, who have a blistering turn of pace.

That same athleticism makes the Jamaicans deadly on defence - not only do they have great aerial ability, but a wide lateral range.

George said this means it makes it more difficult to get free from your opponent.

"The defence are as good with their sideways movement as they are with their leaps and just so athletic that we have to pull all the tricks out of our bag and put it out there on court."

Melbourne Vixens are continuing to bolster their ranks following their disappointing transtasman season, luring Australian player Madison Browne home.

The Vixens, who won the ANZ Championship title in 2009, failed to make the top four playoffs this year, slumping to seventh.

They have also recruited Diamonds shooter Kate Beveridge from champions Adelaide.