The Silver Ferns' first pre-World Cup hit-out against Fiji on Thursday night provided a strong indicator of the lines Waimarama Taumaunu will run during the tournament, which kicks off in Sydney in just under two weeks time.
Along with the new-look shooting end, much of the talk after the Ferns' 91-31 win over the Fijian Pearls centred around ... well centre. New Zealand vice captain Laura Langman, has spent the bulk of her 117 tests over the past decade at centre, but on Thursday she went back to where it all began, starting the match at wing defence. She is expected to receive further runs on the wing in the remaining two tests of their World Cup build-up against South Africa in Hamilton (tomorrow) and Auckland (Tuesday).
Many view Langman's move back to wing defence as a demotion, or a concession from the Ferns' coaching staff that the midcourt veteran lacks the attacking instincts for the centre job. But the ploy is really more about what Langman offers at wing defence, rather than what she doesn't offer at centre. And it is by no means a permanent move.
The decision to test Langman back in the wing defence spot during the January Oceania Series was in response to the dominance of Australian midcourter Madison Robinson in last year's Constellation Cup. Nippy around the court, the diminutive Robinson was the key ball distributor into Diamonds sharpshooter Caitlin Bassett, who proved virtually unstoppable under the post when delivered unstressed ball from the midcourt.
While a serious knee injury has cruelly robbed Robinson of her chance to compete in a home World Cup, the thinking remains the same - cut off the supply chain to Bassett.
Physically, Langman is the perfect antidote for some of the world's top wing attacks. She has the speed, footwork and one-on-one defensive skills to contain even the slickest of wing attacks, and the fitness to do it for an entire game.
Since making her debut in 2005 Langman has always been the Ferns' strongest wing defence, problem is, she has also been their first-choice centre for many of those years. And, on the evidence of Thursday night's match, that is still the case, with Langman outshining Shannon Francois after replacing the Steel midcourter at centre at halftime.
Having spent most of her international career at centre, Langman was far more assertive than her younger teammate, providing a lift in gear in Ferns attack with her ability to weave her way through the congestion and hit the circle edge at pace.
Francois' inability to stamp her mark on the centre role has muddied the waters as to what the Ferns' first string line-up looks like.
Langman was impressive at wing defence on Thursday night, forcing her opposite from the court at the first break. Yet the Ferns were equally strong in the second half when Langman moved up the court and Kayla Cullen was injected into the defensive mix.
But Taumaunu won't be fretting too much about her midcourt predicament. She now has open to her a handy change-up she can feel confident employing during the big games at the World Cup.
- By Dana Johannsen of the New Zealand Herald
