Silver Ferns: we can still win

FIONA GOODALL/Fairfax

OUT OF REACH: Silver Ferns goal defence Casey Williams gets the ball from the Diamonds' goal shoot Sharelle McMahon.

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The Silver Ferns may not be able to beat the Australians in a series, but in a one-off game like that in Delhi next month, they're still confident.

Yesterday the Ferns dropped their bundle in the final quarter again and lost the Constellation Cup decider 46-40 in Auckland. But coach Ruth Aitken, and shooter Daneka Wipiiti, were still confident that on their day the Ferns could beat anyone.

It's hard to argue with them after they thumped the Diamonds in Wellington by 19 goals last Thursday, but the Australians clearly have the upper-hand mentally in the dying minutes of close games and the predicted Commonwealth Games final in Delhi is likely to be one of those.

"Certainly we're disappointed," Aitken said. "But we do know that a) there's time and b) [a possible Games final] is also a one-off so we have to ensure we bring our best game to the court come Delhi.

"I believe that when we get things right we have the potential to be better than any team in the world."

It was a sentiment Wipiiti agreed with this morning.

"We'll go away from here and spend some time reflecting on what we could have done better as individuals and as a team," she said.

"But really, we know that if we do the things we want to do well and are on top of our game, we can beat anyone."

Improving their links, using more width in the midcourt and not wasting turnover ball were critical for the side.

The Ferns have a week-long camp next week followed by a week off then an intense week in Singapore before the Games.

Hamilton-born Wipiiti, one of only a few Silver Ferns to improve their stock in the three-match series, said motherhood had made a big difference to her game and her composure because she no longer sweated the little things.

"You don't eat, sleep, breathe netball anymore. You're Daneka the netballer, then you get home and you're Daneka the mother.

"It makes netball more fun."

She's also improved her game by not trying to compete with Irene van Dyk.

To go head to head for the goal shoot spot against the world's all-time best was never going to be helpful, so Wipiiti continues to work on her "little bag of tricks" as she calls it, so she can be seen as a different option for coach Ruth Aitken.

Wipiiti rolled around the top of the circle well last night and her speed proved too much for lanky Australian defender Susan Fuhrmann.

While she is still some way from keeping van Dyk on the bench permanently, the potential disaster of the 38-year-old retiring after next year's World Champs is no longer quite so catastrophic and the cupboard of replacements looks a lot less barren.

Aitken said she was rapt with how Wipiiti had come back from injury, illness and time away to have her daughter.

"I think the improvement she's made has been really heartening and it's great to see her back in the environment and making such a positive contribution."

RESULT Australia 46 (Natalie Medhurst 27/32, Sharelle McMahon 19/24) New Zealand 40 (Maria Tutaia 15/23, Irene van Dyk 13/17, Daneka Wipiiti 12/14). HT: 22-22. Australia won series 2-1.

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