Three key questions: Should the Ferns be worried?

The Silver Ferns came through another tough test at the Netball World Cup last night, edging out a spirited Jamaican side 55-48 in their qualification round match.

Dana Johannsen and Radio Sport's Rikki Swannell answer key the questions from the match.

1. Did you think the Silver Ferns might have been heading for a loss for a while there?

DJ: It did get a bit ugly there in the second quarter and the Ferns certainly did not look comfortable. They were getting pummelled on attack and lost their connections, while down the other end of the the ball was finding its way into Romelda Aiken's hands far too easily. But consistency has always been an issue for Jamaica, and you got the sense that the Ferns' superior fitness and discipline would get them through the arm wrestle.

RS: Briefly. But once they got back on top towards the end of the third quarter and gone ahead by three, it seemed liked they'd reasserted themselves and regained control. They had to show a lot of composure to get back to that point, and as Jamaica fell away in the fourth quarter, New Zealand's grew in strength, where their superior conditioning paid off.

2. Should we be worried about NZ's second quarter lapse?

DJ: It is probably not a major cause for concern, Jamaica can be a very tricky side to combat when they get their tails up as they have the ability to score so quickly through Aiken. A single error on attack can quickly cost three goals. But Waimarama Taumaunu will be disappointed her side could not address their defensive lapse sooner in the second and allowed the Jamaicans to win the quarter by six goals.

RS:Lapses like that can be punished severely by teams who can score quickly, like Jamaica and Australia, with long balls into a tall shooter. Fortunately NZ had given themselves enough of a buffer with a good start that the lapse was mitigated, and they were able to turn it around fairly quickly. Would Australia and England be so generous? Unlikely, but another question about this team has been answered - it can fight back against a quality opposition.

3. Okay, what about the penalty count - should we be worried about that?

DJ: Defensively, the Ferns were always going to be a bit more expensive against Jamaica as it is more difficult to have a clean go at those long balls going into Aiken. So Taumaunu won't be worried about that. The offensive penalties given away down the other end of the court however will be a concern. Bailey Mes and Maria Tutaia both copped the attention of the Australian umpires, who did not seem to like their body positioning. The Ferns will need to go back and have a good look at how they can tidy this up.

RS: Yes and no. If they have Australian umpires in a key game (highly likely in a semi), then it is. They're more inclined to give offensive penalties as we saw with Mes, and while some of them seem very hard to fathom, happen they will. Mes adjusted in the second half, but the mere fact a shooter can be called for not staying completely upright while trying to get into rebounding position makes it a bit of a lottery. On the other hand, New Zealand's overall style seems to lend itself to less penalties, whereas England (potential semi-final opponent) has been hammered in its two big games - 79 against Jamaica and 93 against Australia.