They came to Melbourne in the hope of regaining some respectability after a 17-goal hammering in last week's Constellation Cup opener. For a few crazy minutes early on in the final quarter of last night's second test, it looked as if the Silver Ferns were going to pull off the unthinkable.
After trailing Australia by six goals at the final change of ends of a topsy turvy clash, the New Zealand side closed to within two of the Diamonds early on in the final period. This was the same Diamonds side that have demolished the Ferns by nearly 20 goals in both their previous two outings.
But just when New Zealand were beginning to put the Diamonds under real pressure, with captain Casey Kopua in particular coming up with some brilliant defensive plays, the wheels fell off for the Ferns, with a couple of crucial errors on attack allowing Australia to pull away again for a comfortable win.
In the end the 49-40 scoreline probably flattered the Diamonds, with the New Zealand side much more competitive than what the scoreboard suggests. But while it may have been a vast improvement from their 17-goal capitulation in the opening test in Invercargill, the reality is the Ferns have now lost the last seven matches against their transtasman rivals. The New Zealand side remains in a deep hole.
As well as a more robust defensive showing from New Zealand, one of the key bright sparks for coach Waimarama Taumaunu was the performance of debutant Ameliaranne Wells, who, despite only being involved with the New Zealand programme for a week and a half, combined remarkably well with Cathrine Latu. Queensland-born Wells provided some deft touches with her balls into the circle, while her long-range shooting helped take the pressure off Latu, who shot 25/25.
