Former Steel captain Jenny-May Coffin reckons all the pressure is on the new generation of the franchise's stars ahead of tomorrow's pre-season clash in Dunedin.

"There's no real pressure on us to perform but there is on the Steel because you don't want a team of has-beens coming down and biting you in the bum," she quipped.

Coffin will join a Legends team to take on the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in a final pre- season hit-out before the trans- Tasman competition proper begins next weekend.

A New Zealand Netball Players' Association innovation, the inaugural Legends team oozes talent, with former Silver Ferns Coffin, Adine Wilson, Tania Dalton, Anna Galvan, Belinda Charteris, Belinda Colling and Angela Mitchell joined by Stephanie Bond, Jenny Ferguson and Erika Burgess.

Each player has strong links to the Netball South region, having previously played for Steel or their championship-winning predecessors, Southern Sting or Otago Rebels - a fact that pleased Coffin.

"It's nice to come back and celebrate that part of the Steel's history, catch up with the girls and have a laugh on court," she said.

"We've all played at different times for the franchises, so for some people it will ignite memories of certain games.

"It will be great to bring all the different eras together into one team on the court."

While quick to downplay her prowess on the court, Coffin undoubtedly remains a competitive force on Auckland's club scene and has been spotted adding her experience to the odd Mystics training session recently.

"As soon as I found out this game was open to the public, I thought I better put in some endurance sessions," she said.

"The reality is you don't lose that competitiveness but you do lose the endurance . . . it's lasting the whole hour that will be the hardest.

"I guarantee we will produce some spectacular moves at some stage - it just won't be consistent and will probably only in the first quarter.

"We will be conserving as much energy as possible and using our smarts instead," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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