Silver Ferns

The two Quad Series netball matches due to be played in Invercargill on October 28 have been shifted to Tauranga's TECT Arena because the new Stadium Southland won't be ready in time.

Dunedin's Jo Morrison spent the early part of her career plotting the Silver Ferns' demise.

Irene van Dyk will lead a New Zealand team that is a mixture of youth and experience at the FastNet world series in England later this month.

Australian netball coach Lisa Alexander says her team's youth and ruthless attitude have given them the edge over arch-rivals New Zealand.

It had been nicknamed the Consolation Cup, but the Silver Ferns will walk away from the 2011 season empty-handed after being run down by another come-from-behind effort from Australia.

When Australian captain Catherine Cox gushed "boys, we love you" in appreciation of the umpires, Gary Burgess and Dalton Hinds, in her post-match speech, there was a collective harrumph from the Silver Ferns fans.

The return of vice-captain Irene van Dyk could not prevent the Silver Ferns losing to Australia 44-41 in Melbourne today.

Waimarama Taumaunu was just a teenager when, in her first tour to Australia with the Silver Ferns, she helped achieve what no other New Zealand side had done in 43 years of transtasman netball tests: win a series on Australian soil.

Cathrine Latu was the Silver Ferns' silver lining in a disappointing 51-44 defeat to the Diamonds in Adelaide last night.

The Silver Ferns exorcised a few of their world championship demons in Perth last night, surviving a fierce fightback from Australia to claim a one-goal win in their Constellation Cup clash.