Silver Ferns reload for home series against England
September 21, 2023
A travelling reserve for the Silver Ferns recent Netball World Cup campaign, lively midcourter Mila Reuelu-Buchanan is looking forward to being part of the action in the up-coming Taini Jamison Trophy three-Test series against England.
Named in the Silver Ferns team for the England series, Reuelu-Buchanan, 25, is itching for an opportunity to press her claims after making her debut in 2022.
Against strong midcourt competition, Reuelu-Buchanan has had to bide her time but now has a golden opportunity to showcase her blossoming credentials as the Silver Ferns begin a new era.
The Silver Ferns are relishing the prospect of playing at home with the first test being hosted in Christchurch on Sunday (September 24), the second in Reuelu-Buchanan’s home town of Porirua next Wednesday (September 27) and wrapping up in Auckland on September 30.
“Being able to hopefully get some game time this campaign will be quite exciting,” Reuelu-Buchanan said.
“I was grateful for my opportunity over at the Netball World Cup as a travelling reserve, I got to learn a lot while there but I’m really looking forward to hopefully doing the mahi (work) and getting the treats.
“I can’t wait and even better, being able to play in Porirua, where I grew up. I’m very proud of my home town. I’ve got a few of my support members coming which is really cool, a few that have never actually watched me play live ever, so it will be really exciting.
“With my nana, my mum and dad and my partner there, it will be special, so really looking forward to it.’’
Facing a relatively unknown England, the Silver Ferns are wary of being ambushed and were put through a serious examination during their build-up camp last week.
“We’ve had our first training back together after having a couple of weeks off and let me tell you, the intensity was very high,’’ Reuelu-Buchanan said.
“I thought we were coming here to just ease into it but we got what you would expect being in the high performance environment.
“The girls did well, it was intense from the start, so set the standard for the future which is good.
“Our preparation focus has been about taking away the learnings from the World Cup, that’s a big thing and we really want to knuckle down on that.
“There are key areas that we want to work on, like our ball retention and performing under pressure, and in terms of England, they are an unknown side but we cannot underestimate who they are and who they’re bringing over.”
Explosive young shooter Tiana Metuarau is another with plenty to prove. Metuarau, 22, was also a travelling reserve for the Silver Ferns World Cup campaign but did get to taste some of the action after replacing Grace Nweke who was ruled out of the tournament early on with a knee injury.
There is a strong desire from within the camp to bounce back from the disappointing fourth place finish at the Cape Town-hosted World Cup.
“There is a lack of familiarity about the England team. But that’s not going to do anything to our preparation. We can’t under-estimate them at all, complacency could be something that could creep in which we really don’t want.
“I’m really looking forward to the series and just excited to be able play in front of home crowds.
“I’m looking forward to playing in Porirua as well in front of my family. Playing in South Africa at the World Cup, especially our match against South Africa, the noise was deafening. So, it will be nice to know that’s the kind of support we’re going to receive being on home soil.”
Named in the Silver Ferns team for the England series, Reuelu-Buchanan, 25, is itching for an opportunity to press her claims after making her debut in 2022.
Against strong midcourt competition, Reuelu-Buchanan has had to bide her time but now has a golden opportunity to showcase her blossoming credentials as the Silver Ferns begin a new era.
The Silver Ferns are relishing the prospect of playing at home with the first test being hosted in Christchurch on Sunday (September 24), the second in Reuelu-Buchanan’s home town of Porirua next Wednesday (September 27) and wrapping up in Auckland on September 30.
“Being able to hopefully get some game time this campaign will be quite exciting,” Reuelu-Buchanan said.
“I was grateful for my opportunity over at the Netball World Cup as a travelling reserve, I got to learn a lot while there but I’m really looking forward to hopefully doing the mahi (work) and getting the treats.
“I can’t wait and even better, being able to play in Porirua, where I grew up. I’m very proud of my home town. I’ve got a few of my support members coming which is really cool, a few that have never actually watched me play live ever, so it will be really exciting.
“With my nana, my mum and dad and my partner there, it will be special, so really looking forward to it.’’
Facing a relatively unknown England, the Silver Ferns are wary of being ambushed and were put through a serious examination during their build-up camp last week.
“We’ve had our first training back together after having a couple of weeks off and let me tell you, the intensity was very high,’’ Reuelu-Buchanan said.
“I thought we were coming here to just ease into it but we got what you would expect being in the high performance environment.
“The girls did well, it was intense from the start, so set the standard for the future which is good.
“Our preparation focus has been about taking away the learnings from the World Cup, that’s a big thing and we really want to knuckle down on that.
“There are key areas that we want to work on, like our ball retention and performing under pressure, and in terms of England, they are an unknown side but we cannot underestimate who they are and who they’re bringing over.”
Explosive young shooter Tiana Metuarau is another with plenty to prove. Metuarau, 22, was also a travelling reserve for the Silver Ferns World Cup campaign but did get to taste some of the action after replacing Grace Nweke who was ruled out of the tournament early on with a knee injury.
There is a strong desire from within the camp to bounce back from the disappointing fourth place finish at the Cape Town-hosted World Cup.
“There is a lack of familiarity about the England team. But that’s not going to do anything to our preparation. We can’t under-estimate them at all, complacency could be something that could creep in which we really don’t want.
“I’m really looking forward to the series and just excited to be able play in front of home crowds.
“I’m looking forward to playing in Porirua as well in front of my family. Playing in South Africa at the World Cup, especially our match against South Africa, the noise was deafening. So, it will be nice to know that’s the kind of support we’re going to receive being on home soil.”