The Silver Ferns “don’t have all the answers” about coaching saga.
Photo: Jeremy Ward/ Photosport
The relief that they had finally won was evident in Silver Ferns interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie’s voice as she sat down to face the media just a day after finding out her time in the top job would come to an end late next month when Dame Noeline Taurua returns.
But another weight might have also been lifted off her shoulders.
A 61-52 win in game three of the Constellation Cup against Australia in Hamilton on Sunday came just days after they had lost to their trans-Tasman rivals by 17 goals – twice.
And just hours after the Silver Ferns playing group had found out that Taurua would be re-instated.
Netball New Zealand’s (NNZ) announcement was a move that McCausland-Durie said provided them all with “clarity”.
Captain Karin Burger said NNZ had only provided the players with limited information due to the timing of the announcement on the eve of the game.
“Not wanting to confuse us and clog our brains even more it’s selective about when we should be asking those questions and when we should be getting that information, because we had the game today that was clearly not the right time for us to ask those questions and get down to what the detail was.
“Some people might want to know the detail, some people might not want to know the detail.”
Burger said the situation was “complex” and the delivery of the information about the changes to the high performance environment and what had played out with Taurua and NNZ would be all about timing.
She said that after the final game of the Constellation Cup might be the time “to ask questions where we need, and where we want to get more clarity on, to make sure we fully understand what has happened in the background if that is what you want to know”.
The turnaround against Australia on their home court keeps the series alive with the final game in Christchurch on Wednesday and that was where Burger said her mind was.
But she did believe the playing group was “very open” to the possibility of Taurua joining the team in some capacity on next month’s Northern Tour.
“We have to think of the here and now and performing here and now and once this series is done I’m sure we’ll get into the nitty gritty of that.”
With the victory behind them, and some clarity about what happens next with the coaching saga, the Silver Ferns wanted more of that winning feeling.
“It’s a much better feeling, but it can be better still we can still always improve,” McCausland-Durie said of the win that extended New Zealand’s streak over Australia in New Zealand to nine matches.
“It’s a little bit of relief but I’m also thinking what’s next because the next opportunity is ahead of us.”
McCausland-Durie had challenged players to step up or be prepared to be benched.
She said was open to “looking at other options” if her first choices had not been working in Hamilton.
“People have taken responsibility, we played a lot of combos this week with a lot of variation and it was about saying we’ve got strength, we’ve got options if we need to go to them lets have the courage to go there early and trust each other.”
McCausland-Durie did find some winning combinations and she also got all 12 players on court. At one stage of the third quarter there were players in their early 20s with limited caps to their name in both circles.
She might only have limited time left with the Silver Ferns but it seems McCausland-Durie wants to leave the entire squad feeling confident.
“It’s really about reminding them that this is the strength and value you bring.
“When we bring change we want difference we don’t want sameness.”
Young Silver Ferns Amelia Walmsley and Parris Mason had their chance against Australia on Sunday.
Photo: Jeremy Ward/Photosport
Burger believes the Silver Ferns lost themselves during the first two games of the Constellation Cup.
“We probably went away a little bit from what we know we’re good at and not playing true to ourselves and the Kiwi style,” Burger said.
Freedom and energy were the words Burger used to describe how she thought things had changed to get the win. But she should not play down her own MVP contribution.
“You can’t tell others how to feel or what to do so you’ve got to lead by example and I think coming into this game knowing this is do or die for us I just wanted to play the game I know I’m really good at.
“I just feed off the energy of those around me and try and give it back and that really showed in our defensive end especially.”
Burger wanted to make sure she was sending the right message on and off the court during what had been a tough time.
“It’s important for us a players to know that we can speak to our own experiences and what that looks like but also knowing the challenging situation that we’re in … acknowledging that it’s a very complex situation and we don’t have all the answers.
“I know people don’t like hearing that but we really don’t have all the answers especially at this point in time and so when we are saying something and so when we are saying something it needs to be that we are 100 percent confident that what we’re saying is what we know and what is the truth and speak to that truth and everybody’s truth is going to look different because everybody’s experiences is different.”
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