Nathan Limm of NZME and Sky’s Courtney Tairi look back on the semifinal defeat to England.
Former Silver Ferns captain Adine Wilson has raised her eyebrows at the decision making of Dame Noeline Taurua at the Netball World Cup.
New Zealand finished fourth in Cape Town - their worst result in the 60-year history of the tournament.
The Ferns were noticeably crippled by theloss of ace shooter Grace Nweke during the group stages, forcing a change in tactics, with Maia Wilson assuming the goal shoot bib.
Taurua went from making a multitude of changes every quarter to staunchly sticking to the same starting seven for almost the entirety of games.
New Zealand subsequently drew with South Africa and sustained losses against Jamaica (twice) and England in the semifinal, with fourth-quarter collapses a consistent theme.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio during the Netball World Cup match between South Africa and New Zealand. Photo / Photosport
“We usually see Dame Noeline very calm and she certainly looked a little bit more reactive in her changes - or not doing any changes - than she has in the past.
“She was having to adapt in a situation with very little time on her hands, so it was a challenge. Her and Deb [Fuller] have got still - I feel - a lot to give.”
One of the surprise strategic adjustments for the World Cup was shifting standout goal keep Kelly Jury to the midcourt.
The experiment at wing defence produced mixed results, with the Central Pulse captain returning to the circle for the losing semifinal against England and the bronze final defeat by Jamaica.
Wilson said Taurua needed to adapt faster.
“We certainly gave ourselves chances to be in these games and to win them. So I think it’s great giving it a go but I suppose you do wonder - did we stick with the experiment just a little bit too long?
“They tried it; it didn’t quite work. Should there have been a change? Because we then saw Kelly come out in the game after that and actually play very, very well at goal keep. And defensively, we picked up some great ball.”
Taurua admitted after the bronze final that Jury and Phoenix Karaka were noticeably more effective at defending Jamaican shooter Jhanielle Fowler in the defensive circle than Jane Watson and Karin Burger during the group stage.
In the semifinal, the Roses’ suffocating defence saw the Kiwis struggle to get the ball to the post with Maia Wilson and captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio in the circle.
The Ferns will almost certainly still be without Nweke for the upcoming Taini Jamison Trophy Series against England, who is still recovering from a knee injury.
However, Wilson said minute changes to their attacking game could see them flip the script.
“Get it in there earlier, look for the post earlier. I think that will make a significant difference because it’s only the one or two percenters. It wasn’t like we got absolutely smoked out there.”
Wilson said they needed a more direct approach and could not afford to deliberate in the circle.
“I do wonder if we need to be more confident taking those long-range shots because every time you throw that ball out of the circle, it’s another opportunity for someone to intercept it.”
The three-match series starts on September 24 in Christchurch.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. As a child, he was never far from the footy field or the cricket nets, and fostered a deep passion for sports media and broadcasting.
