KEY POINTS:
It's the hot potato neither Adine Wilson nor Liz Ellis want to hold - but the English wish someone would pass it to them.
The only action at yesterday's netball World Championships' captains' call was Australian captain Ellis trying to toss back the favourites tag to the Silver Ferns skipper Wilson.
If only someone would throw it the way of England captain Amanda Newton, with the English team jumping up and down to be recognised as much better than the fourth seeding they've been lumbered with since the last world championships.
Ellis, one of the true stateswomen of international netball, isn't wearing the label, or taking up the TAB odds that put her side $1.40 favourites (with the Ferns at $2.70).
"Adine won't agree with me, but I rate New Zealand as the favourites - they're current world champions, they know what to do, they know how to win and they're playing on home soil," she said.
But in the same breath, the former solicitor made it clear it would take a greater team to deny the Aussies their ninth world title - a tough assignment for any nation.
"If we don't win it will be because we're beaten by a better team. The obvious people to do that are Jamaica, New Zealand and of course England." She wouldn't discount a dark horse coming through like South Africa did, knocking out New Zealand in 1995.
It may not be the South Africans in Auckland in 2007. Captain Bronwyn Bock-Jonathan, back from a four-year injury hiatus, admitted the once mighty Proteas had struggled with retirements, a change of coach, injuries and a string of losses. Only one player, towering shooter Sindi Gumede, remains from the last tournament and they will rely heavily on her.
"We're known for putting aerial balls in to our tall shooter.
"We'll try and fit in one or two," Bock-Jonathan said.
The dark horse may be Malawi - in fact, diminutive captain Peace Chawinga is certain of it. The African Queens aim to make the top four, and topple the world champions on the way with their "unreadable" brand of netball.
England captain Newton predicts her side as the bolter in the race. "We've been training hard for the last four years, and we're peaking at the right time. Our team is a much stronger team than we have seen before. It's time for us to win."
Trinidad and Tobago, winners in 1979, are aiming high - at least a top-five finish, according to captain Rhonda John-Davis, even though they lost to unranked Singapore just a few months ago.
Other sides, such as Wales, Singapore and Scotland, simply want to improve their standings in the world. The Scots have acclimatised to the Kiwi style with games against Waikato and the Bay of Plenty this week; Singapore have a New Zealand influence from player Charlene Porima and coach Kate Carpenter.
The Samoans' build-up has been dictated by a lack of funding. "But we're experienced enough to put that aside," said captain Frances Solia. They also have a wealth of knowledge in their coach, former Silver Fern Linda Vagana.
"Linda is very calm, very good under pressure. Back at home in Wellington, I'm used to having someone like Wai [Taumaunu], so this is very different," she laughed.
The Cook Islands boast the experience of former Ferns captain Ana Noovao at the helm, while the Fijians now have Vilimaina Davu on - and in - their side. Fiji's new captain, Mere Rabuka, says Davu has "made a big change to us" and given a needed boost to the team, innocently caught up in the political turmoil of their country.
