The Silver Ferns have two young guns on standby for next month's Commonwealth Games, with team management conscious of the risk of carrying three injury-prone defenders into the tournament.
New Zealand captain Casey Kopua, veteran defender Leana de Bruin and the newly recalled Anna Harrison have all had their fairshare of injuries, with all experiencing stints on the sidelines over the last two years. Their most pressing concern this season is over de Bruin, who has battled a back injury all season requiring careful monitoring of the 36-year-old defender. De Bruin was forced to sit out three Constellation Cup tests with a leg injury last year.
Kopua, who has been plagued by knee and ankle problems since she was a teen, missed most of the 2012 international season, while Harrison's return to the transtasman league this year following the birth of her first child was delayed by a foot injury. The fourth defender, Katrina Grant, spent most of last season in a moon boot when not on the court, but never missed a game.
With the Ferns facing a gruelling schedule in Glasgow, with up to seven games in 10 days, managing multiple injuries will be difficult. Coach Waimarama Taumaunu said player fitness was a concern for the selectors.
To mitigate that risk, the Steel's Phoenix Karaka, who joined the Ferns on their UK tour in January, and impressive young Mystics defender Temalisi Fakahokotau will be on standby until the start of the tournament.
"We're very aware that whilst [Kopua, de Bruin and Harrison] are very experienced and talented and picked themselves in a sense, that is an area where we've been managing injuries in the past so that is why we've got Phoenix and Temalisi helping to prepare," said Taumaunu.
"We've got some work to do with them, but that's why they're with us right now."
Despite needing a few painkillers to get her through matches this season, de Bruin is confident she can manage the workload in Glasgow.
"I trust what the medical team is doing and I have been training or playing every day this season. Some days I might have to go a bit lighter, but that is no different to a lot of players," she said.
De Bruin is on a mandatory two-week break following the Magic's preliminary final exit last Monday, but the veteran said the back pain is not something that can be resolved in that timeframe.
"Ideally I'd have 2-3 months off to get it sorted, but that's not possible at this time so I just need to manage it as best I can and train a bit smarter, not harder," she said.
"I think it is going to be an on-going thing until I really stop what I'm doing."
While it would be tempting for the 74-test veteran to use the break to rest her battered body before heading into Ferns camp, de Bruin said it is important that she keeps moving and training hard.
She took a couple of days off following the team's return from Brisbane, but was back in the gym yesterday training hard and has been playing squash to keep up her agility and footwork.
