Silver Ferns seal first Test win over England Roses

Coming home strongly, the Silver Ferns turned the tables on the England Roses to seal a 62-55 win in the first of the Taini Jamison Trophy Test Series in Porirua tonight.

The two evenly-matched teams delivered a pulsating spectacle, going toe-to-toe throughout the 60 minutes, the Silver Ferns pulling away in the final stanza to reverse the result of their four-goal loss to the same opponents in the Quad Series just over a week ago.

The Silver Ferns welcomed back their vice-captain Maria Tutaia from bereavement leave, the silky-skilled shooter turning in a player of the match performance to drive her team home.

Coming into the squad for the three-Test Series against England, midcourter Grace Rasmussen and defender Temalisi Fakahokotau left their mark in telling second half contributions.

The sharp-shooting Tutaia featured from the outset in a closely-fought and entertaining opening stanza. Immediately becoming a focal point in directing play on attack while sinking goals from all corners of the circle, Tutaia was in the thick of action against an equally efficient England.

Both defensive ends held sway, the accomplished England defensive pairing of Ama Agbeze and Geva Mentor keeping the New Zealand shooting duo on their toes. A similar scenario unfolded at the other end as Katrina Grant and Jane Watson took the menace out of England threats Jo Harten and Helen Housby to leave the teams locked 15-all at the first break.

The arm wrestle continued on the resumption, neither team taking a backward step as both fought valiantly to gain the upper hand.

In a bid to stall England’s shooting momentum, 1.92m Silver Ferns defender Kelly Jury was introduced to the fray, goal shoot Te Paea Selby-Rickit following 10 minutes later and coinciding with a momentum shift to the Silver Ferns who ground out a three-goal advantage.

That was short-lived when England, who impressed with their through-court transitional play, and the outstanding contribution of athletic wing defence Serena Guthrie in particular, responded in style to leave the Silver Ferns with a tenuous 29-28 lead at the main break.

Rasmussen was introduced for the second half, immediately building on her creativity and linking well with her shooters while the athletic Fakahokotau, making her first international appearance since 2014 late in the third quarter, received a thunderous reception when picking up a loose ball to break England’s impetus while handing the Silver Ferns a 42-40 lead at the last turn and the promise of an exciting finish.

The second of the three-Test Series will be played in Napier on Sunday afternoon.