Another large-margin victory is expected from the Silver Ferns as they try to win the three-test series against Jamaica with a game to spare in Palmerston North tonight.
Bailey Mes shoots a goal during the Silver Ferns' first test against Jamaica in Nelson on Sunday. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand breezed past the Sunshine Girls 72-34 in Nelson on Sunday, while also managing to get all but one member of their squad onto the court.
Join RNZ tonight from 7.30pm for a live blog of the match in Palmerston North.
Ferns coach Janine Southby said winning wasn't the only priority tonight.
"We're obviously trying to get a lot of connections being built and established and giving them every opportunity to be successful, because we know that when we come up against Australia that it needs to be our whole squad performing.
"And so we need all 12 of them out there, and the ability for all of them to go on at anytime."
Sunday's match was an incredibly one-sided affair, with little resistance put up by the Jamaicans, but Southby believed her opponents would put up more of a fight tonight.
Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby Photo: Photosport
Southby said the 38-goal score didn't reflect the physicality of the match and she was predicting a tougher contest tonight - despite the Jamaicans again missing leading shooters Romelda Aitken and Jhaniele Fowler-Reid.
"We expect they would have learnt a lot from the other night and they'll come out a lot more fired up, and I know that physically they've got some really talented athletes and it's hard to get ball off them if they get those connections going.
"Their timing and the way they play the game was a real learning curve for some of the girls."
Southby dismissed the idea that Jamaica weren't good enough competition, though; instead, she welcomed more test-playing opportunities against other nations.
The series against Jamaica is the precursor to the Constellation Cup series against world champions Australia next month.
Storm Purvis makes her Silver Ferns debut against Jamaica Photo: Photosport
While the results against Jamaica were not as competitive as those against Australia, Southby said any opportunity for her team to play together on the international stage - particularly as the side was rebuilding - was worth grabbing with both hands.
"From my point of view from coaching, we just don't have a lot of games, and we've got to make the most of the opportunities that we get so, at the moment, for a team like us who's building new connections, who's got some new players in the group, it is really important.
"It's really important that we get exposed to this style so that the girls can put it into the memory banks going forward so that, [when] we do go up against them at the pinnacle tournaments, we know what to expect."
