Netball: George happy to be back in black

Veteran Temepara George will have to adapt to a new way of doing things. Photo / Getty Images

For a time it looked as though Temepara George had been lost to the international game.

When the talented midcourter withdrew from the national side just months before the 2007 World Champs, there were many who thought we would never see the day George returned to the Silver Ferns. But that day has come.

The veteran centre will don the black dress for the first time in more than two years in tonight's opening test against the World Seven in Wellington. George, who hasn't played for the Ferns since their rather forgettable tour to England in May 2007, said she was itching to get a chance to add to her 59 test caps.

But opinion is divided on whether the dynamic midcourter, one of the stand-out centres of the ANZ Championship, should be able swan straight back into the starting line-up.

Those with long memories think George should have to bide her time on the bench, giving those players who have remained "loyal" to the national side the opportunity to start.

George said she was relishing being back in the Ferns environment.

"It's quite strange, you kind of feel like the new kid, but you're older than all the other kids," she laughed.

She finds plenty of changes, with the New Zealand coaching staff headed by Ruth Aitken adopting new training methods in an effort to ensure the Ferns don't lag behind as the game becomes faster and more physical.

"I think the principles are still the same, it's just there are different ways of doing things now.

"They've kind of implemented a lot of new systems and there's new people on board to help with our strength and conditioning and nutrition and things like that," she said.

After struggling for depth in the midcourt, the return of George, as well as the rise of Steel centre Liana Barrett-Chase and the versatile Laura Langman, opens up a raft of options for the Ferns selectors. Throw specialist wing attack Maree Bowden and part-time wing defences Joline Henry and Larrissa Willcox into the mix and you require a mathematician to work out the number of potential combinations open to selectors.

Not since 2003 when the likes of George, Adine Wilson, Anna Stanley and Lesley Rumball reigned in the middle have the Ferns been so flush with centre court options, creating intrigue over the make-up of the midcourt for tonight's opening clash.

Assistant coach Waimarama Taumaunu said while Langman, George, and Barrett-Chase had all played at centre throughout the ANZ Championships, the selectors were comfortable using the talented trio in other positions. She hinted Langman, who stepped into the starting centre role in George's absence, could move back to wing defence this season, returning to the position in which she first made a name for herself.

Taumaunu expects the games to be highly competitive. The impressive World Seven line-up includes English defenders Geva Mentor and Sonia Mkoloma, Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken as well as veteran Australian stars Natasha Chokjlat, Peta Scholz and Megan Dehn.

* Silver Ferns v World Seven: 7:45pm tonight, TSB Bank Arena, Wellington