In the middle
Maddy Gordon has been the midcourt saviour.
Usually a centre, she plucked the game-winning intercept at wing defence against South Africa and she changed the latter two Australian tests when she shifted to wing attack.
Gordon provides a more direct route into the circle at wing attack, punches the circle edge and finds depth to open up the attacking end for her team-mates. She also sets herself up on the angle, offering a different variety of feeds into Grace Nweke and sights her shooter earlier.
Must do better
If there is one thing that wins games, it is converting gain ball.
But the Silver Ferns need to be proactive in hunting those gains early and not leaving it until the last minute to mount their comeback.
They were guilty of being defensively quiet in the fourth test but came alive in the second half.
At the other end of the court, that gain ball must be converted. That starts by letting the feeds go on the first second to Nweke and not waiting for the opening to come. Nweke demands her space, and the ball, and feeders have to have the confidence to let it go.
Combinations
Georgia Heffernan, Martina Salmon and Amelia Walmsley have all had court time at goal attack this series.
But it was clear the impact Heffernan made when she returned in test four. She drove hard, cut through the top, drawing a defender off Nweke, and started to go to the post. Salmon has also made big strides after seldom playing goal attack.
Interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie said they all brought a point of difference, which was important as they looked ahead.
"They’ve worked really hard to bring their variation," McCausland-Durie said.
"The thing that I’ve really loved about the three goal attacks is they’ve supported each other incredibly well," she said.
New kid on the block
Catherine Hall has been the livewire off the bench.
The defender had immediate impact when injected at goal defence at halftime in the fourth test, finishing with five deflections, two gains, one pick-up and one rebound.
But it was her work off the ball that mattered most, disrupting the space and making life hard for the Australian attackers. It also brought Kelly Jackson into the game more. Hall — who has predominantly been a goal keep for the Northern Mystics — offers a point of difference and provides size, standing at 191cm, only 1cm shorter than Jackson. Captain Karin Burger was impressed with the young defender.
"Really proud of her for being so calm and collected. The future for her is very bright," Burger said.
"She showed what she could do. She plays to her strength and her and Kel, with a bit more time together I’m sure they’ll be lethal in that circle together."
One more, please
Without a doubt there must be a fifth test added to the Constellation Cup series.
The 14-minute decider was great for fans, but having multiple players cramping and a serious injury to Australian defender Sunday Aryang — who has since been confirmed to have torn her ACL — to end the test was a deflating finish. Most people will also forget the Silver Ferns won the fourth test and only remember the Diamonds winning the Cup on the same night.
