Things to learn from the Silver Ferns Triumph

Even when you don’t know a lot about a sport you can still observe things.  And the Silver Ferns redemption story is one few saw happening, and so what can we learn from it?

1. It is never too late to change coach. Following last year’s Commonwealth embarrassment it seemed the national side was in freefall.  Not helping was that there were no meaningful matches between that and the World Cup.  But Noeline Taurua has success following in her wake everywhere she goes.  She got the players she wanted, and she had a plan….
2. A big part of her plan was to outflank opponents in terms of fitness. At top level sport it’s those little things that can give you an advantage.
3. Another part of her plan was to pick players plying their trade in Australia. A loss of face for Netball NZ but there’s a lot of logic in picking players from the most competitive league in the world.
4. That fossils There is no substitute for experience and if those senior players are in form, and not there purely on reputation they are the players to pick.
5. Those games against the NZ men’s team seemed a bit odd at the time but, given the lack of other competitive matches proved to be a masterstroke.
6. Dame Noeline Taurua. If a coach who had such a devastating impact on Super Rugby in 2007 (memberships down 25%, and they never recovered) can be knighted for a skanky World Cup win, this one is a no-brainer.