Tamsin Greenway provides his perspective on what the British Vitality Roses will take from their New Zealand Test and where their focus needs to shift to a future series.

First things first, I think it was a very positive series for England and very important to keep going.

I know that the players and the team have to go through a lot for that to happen. They’ve all handled that side amazingly and it’s really worth it when we see the performances they’ve put out there.

Without the eight players who play in the Suncorp Super Netball, there is a feeling that the world champions will really take him to England and it will be a very challenging tour in terms of performance.

As a result of that perception, I think many people were quite surprised by the steps of the English players who took to the courts. It was a wonderful statement for them to go out there fearlessly and use that thought as motivation to show everyone what they were made of.

That fearless attitude appeared in all three matches. The inexperienced young English players have shown they can go to the next level, and audiences in the Southern Hemisphere will surely remember some English names by now.

England’s confidence was boosted by their shooters and their high goal percentage at Tes, but that was led by excellent defensive work across the pitch. The Roses defense rocked the Silver Ferns and that meant they couldn’t play with the freedom and creativity they normally do.

I know that prior to the tour, UK head coach Jess Thirlby talked about it as a show and development tour. These are two goals that I think are quite difficult to achieve at the same time because you try to win games but also try to get the people on the pitch.

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Personally, I think England are close to striking a balance between chasing the win and giving the players exposure, there are only a few key changes that could have been made differently.

I was thinking about the second Test when the momentum was clear with England. I want to see how long the players on the pitch can stay and what they can achieve as a result of that.

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Look back at the highlights of the second test between New Zealand and Britain in Hamilton

However, if exposure is key then I hope the England management team gets the answers they want. If they do, that means they can move forward and start building the squad clearly, instead of throwing the net too wide and not investing entirely in key positions and players.

Of course, you want to have a lot of talent and make sure you have players coming in, but you can’t take the six players who all play C / WD to the World Cup. At some point, you have to decide who two or three players are your focus on, and you have to give them the opportunity out there to learn, perform and build connections, because every game between now and the Commonwealth Games is very important.

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis took the opportunity with both hands in New Zealand

I think the UK have found their answer for the next GA at Sophie Drakeford-Lewis. What’s interesting is he has so much to learn, but he’s still brilliant in New Zealand and making a real impact. Sophie made her name known and I think she will only continue to improve.

With so much potential, and adding it to a long list of other UK GAs – Helen Housby, Jo Harten, Eleanor Cardwell and Nat Haythornthwaite – does the UK really need to keep trying more combinations here? Or can they focus on it and start looking at the next crop below it in support, like Kira Rothwell for example.

It’s the same as some of the other positions – take the midfield battle between Amy Carter and Gabby Marshall.

I understand the need to bring in players, but if you already have Serena Guthrie, Jade Clarke in the squad … then Beth Cobden will be back and Laura Malcolm who can play WD / C, as well as Jodie Gibson, Layla Guscoth and Vicki Oyesola all covered, the decision hard to make about who you want to build your next squad for.

If Australia can leave Kate Eddy and Amy Parmenter, and New Zealand can leave the Toeava Map, then I think Britain must also be ruthless at some point, otherwise no one gets the amount of time and input they need.

Razia Quashie continued to press Silver Ferns in attacks

Moving on to another key invention for England, Razia Quashie looks very comfortable on the international stage, and she does it against a very tough opponent.

Geva Mentor has been the world leader for so long in GK’s position and the truth is (sadly) he won’t be playing forever. That means Britain needs to start figuring out who their next GK is and what I love about Raz in New Zealand is that she gets better and better with each Test.

In the third game, he took the lead for interception and he kept England in that game for a long time. Raz really started thinking about what the units in front of him were doing and what balls he could enter and win. He really stood out from the tour and that’s something England should really love.

Silver Ferns didn’t have everything in their own way during the series

As for Silver Ferns, it is a very interesting series for them. I think it’s fair to say that everyone expected them to be better, or at least more consistent than before, yet they still got clean results.

They also managed to get all their players out on the field and improved from the first game to the last. You can see they try a lot of things, it’s not perfect at all, but they are brave enough to change the starting lineups and the tactical play, which all depends on Dame Noeline Taurua and her wits.

I think it’s important that we all remember that New Zealand has lost many key players, also in key positions. With new faces in the position, it will take time for them to reach the level and tactical play they had at the World Cup.

Laura Langman is one of a number of supporters who have moved away from international netball

New Zealand is no different from any other team in the world – they still bring players in and have them learn on the job. They won all three Tests, but they were clearly unhappy with the way they played. This group will only get better.

So how is the UK moving forward now? I think they have a great opportunity in New Zealand, and now is the time to start strengthening and strengthening some of the combinations that have worked.

The coaches should have seen enough of the Vitality Nations Cup in January, from their own camp and from this series to start to break down and focus on the specific players who will step up, compete and mix with those who will return to the competition. troops.

I hope that the next time Vitality Roses has an international Test series, there is a bit of consistency on the pitch in terms of combinations. I also hope that the focus shifts from performance and development, to purely performance, because this next group to come is very interesting and has shown us all how much potential they have.

Razia Quashie, Fran Williams, George Fisher and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis all seized their chances with both hands during the three British Test series in New Zealand against the world champions

When Vitality Roses England returned from New Zealand, we saw four players take their chances with both hands against the world champions.

Jess Thirlby’s outfit heads to New Zealand not playing competitive netball since March, and then they find themselves having to navigate a tour without their head coach being there in person.

Although none of the three matches resulted in a win, the touring party did make life uncomfortable for the world champions and they asked questions throughout the match.

Of Thirlby’s group of 16 players, 10 had 15 caps or less on tour and when the heat started, a number of less experienced players stepped up. Here we look at four in particular …

Raids Quashie

The final test of the series is the most open-ended show of Razia Quashie’s talent.

He finished with six gains and four interceptions and finished his third 60-minute series appearance in style. Needless to say, The Roses head coach Thirlby was quick to praise him after the final whistle.

“I thought Razia had grown up [in this series], “Said Thirlby Sky Sports.

“He’s been there or around the squad for a while now so he’s not really new to that [Test netball], but in this context he seized his opportunity.

“To be able to reproduce his standards during every match, from start to finish, is impressive. I think that would be one of the best positives for us to take.”

Quashie, who was introduced to netball by her mother, is a natural reader of the game and has previously said she wanted to emulate Geva Mentor’s footwork and style.

An element of fun for Thirlby is that Quashie isn’t distracted by the best shooter in the world right now, Maia Wilson. Instead, he saw it as a challenge and worked hard with Fran Williams to annoy Wilson as much as possible.

Fran Williams

The rest of the British defensive unit is also very good when it comes to captain Silver Ferns and their great shooters.

The frenzy of Fran Williams was clear for all to see, as was his ability to take the ball higher on the pitch and provide The Roses a vital turnaround.

Williams may only have 16 caps to his name, but being part of the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 squad means he has accumulated a wealth of experience over that time.

It’s clear Thirlby was also impressed by the 22-year-old’s leadership style, having made him his vice-captain for the series.

It’s a role he will continue to take when he returns to Wasps Netball and his competitive nature means that the presence of others in the England squad will only further his development.

George Fisher

George Fisher will play in the ANZ Premiership next season for Southern Steel

After hearing about their Test series against New Zealand, George Fisher will be one of the most excited members of the England squad due to his move to Southern Steel next season.

From the moment he stepped onto the pitch in Hamilton, it was clear he was out to impress his new head coach and New Zealand netball fan.

Fisher turned to the post confidently and physically, he looks fitter than he has ever been before. During the first lockdown, former Saracens Maverick put some workouts at home on social media and in New Zealand, it was clear they had paid dividends.

“I think he raises his hand in terms of his ability to shoot and go to the post, I like his accuracy,” Southern Steel head coach Reinga Bloxham told Bridget Tunnicliffe at RNZ in New Zealand.

“It’s great to see his muscles against our physical defense and not shy away from that.

“It’s something we talk about when he will come to this competition, so for him to experience that before he goes to ANZ it will be very important for us to progress.”

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis took this tour to New Zealand after making only two appearances for her country. During this tour however, she really stamped her authority on the field and did it to a large extent, while fighting off intimidating opponents at Jane Watson.

Watson is a tough defender and with the ability to make an attacker think they are an option before he pounces.

Across three Tests, Drakeford-Lewis defended his own test. He uses his speed to cut through the Silver Fern’s zone and make the correct moves inside the circle, ensuring that he is either his own choice or the shooter.

Finally, right down to his shot, young GA maintained his fluid style well in the face of significant pressure and made 23 of 27 attempts on goal.

UK Netball head coach Jess Thirlby used 14 of his 16 squad members during three Trials series in New Zealand; Imogen Allison got her first cap and Serena Guthrie set her 100th record during the second Test at Hamilton

The British Roses Vitality Test series in New Zealand was described as a “great stepping stone” by head coach Jess Thirlby, following the final Test on Sunday.

The touring party, while not taking the game away from their hosts, made life a challenge for the world champions and achieved the ultimate goal of exposing more experienced players to Kiwi netball style.

Ahead of the three games, 10 of Thirlby’s 16-man squad have 15 international caps or less, and the head coach gave game time to all but two of his players in New Zealand.

“I think this is a great stepping stone. It has almost marked over a year for me in this role and I have been able to expose players of great level against Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Jamaica,” said Thirlby.

“It is a privileged position to be head coach and I think the depth of the squad is brilliant.

“As we go to Birmingham and the Commonwealth Games there are fewer opportunities to play with the team and we need to do this part first.

“I can’t thank England Netball and Netball New Zealand enough for making this series possible.”

The head coach’s gratitude was echoed by those in New Zealand, with vice-captain Serena Guthrie using a post-draw speech to share her gratitude and Ameliaranne Ekenasio praising England’s efforts as well.

“We have a special opportunity this week to take part in what could be the only international netball in 2020 and we are very honored and honored to have been a part of that,” said Guthrie, leaning on his crutches.

“I’m very proud of our girls here, some only have a few caps, and I think we’re doing our best going forward.

“I’m also proud of both groups [England and New Zealand] given the circumstances we all face today. “

We are very grateful to you for coming here. It shows so much commitment to our sport for travel and quarantine. Thank you for coming to New Zealand

Ameliaranne Ekenasio’s message for Vitality Roses

For Thirlby, the three Test matches have provided what he hopes they will do. His pre-tour objective was development and performance, and he felt the squad was in a strong position after their encounter with Dame Noeline Taurua’s team.

“If I’m honest, I can’t speak highly enough of my players and praise the team enough for what they achieved on the pitch this week.

“Yes, it would be great if we could further reduce the distance with New Zealand [in the third Test]. I think there is an expectation from the outside that we can do that, but unfortunately things don’t always move in that direction.

“It’s very important to stay true to everything we want to get from the Test series,” he said openly.

“The goal is to get closer to the Kiwis [in the last Test]. I feel like there are some good patches, but we may not be consistent [than on Friday] and have too many faults. I think fatigue may have played a role in that.

“Credit to New Zealand, it took them up to this game to show us a little bit more about their flow. I think we have to take big credit for ourselves for that, in terms of asking them questions this week and making it difficult for them to do so. . win. “

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Take a look back at the highlights of the last Test of the Claudelands Arena between England and New Zealand

Thirlby, who took over from Tracey Neville after last year’s Netball World Cup, has always been clear about what she needed to do at the start of her tenure and this international cycle.

With the Commonwealth Games arriving in 2022 and the next Netball World Cup in 2023, he approaches this Test series knowing that it is not just about the here and now.

“I am very proud and there is a lot to take from this series in terms of learning. We put 14 players out on the pitch and you cannot replace that feeling.

“I have a duty to get those players out. There will be fewer options as we approach the big championships to do that and I have a lot of knowledge and insight now.

“As I said, there was a lot of learning and some upward pressure in the group,” he added.

“You have to have competition in a program and in a team and what I like about this team is that they are developing a lot. They are not afraid, they are united about it and know that is what we need as a group.”

Silver Ferns sealed Tes’s trio of wins at the Cadbury Netball Series with the third quarter back to the fore; England’s Rose of Vitality returns home after exposing a number of inexperienced players to the Test stage

New Zealand secured the draw with a 62-47 win over England on Sunday, although the visitors showed strong resilience in the last Test at Claudelands Arena.

For the third time in as little as a week, the venue in Hamilton sold out, as New Zealand and England brought smiles to fans’ faces with international netball returning to the world stage.

As was the case in the second test, The Vitality Roses held on to their opponents in the first half, before a slow start in the third quarter proved to be their downfall.

The Vitality Roses trailed 26-19 after 30 minutes but after the break, New Zealand hit the gas in both attack and defense and England went to a boil.

Within five and a half minutes, New Zealand hit a 15-goal lead before England staunchly pulled them back with six goals of their own.

As the game ended, The Roses were trying to keep their work rate high but on the home pitch, the Silver Ferns jumped over every mistake and converted for their 62-47 result.

More to follow …