By Katarina Williams (@kat_m_williams)
The Silver Ferns' brains trust is entrusting the team’s World Cup shooting success in Bailey Mes - its newly-appointed number one goal shooter - but is their faith in the 26-year-old misplaced?
Coach Waimarama Taumaunu was emphatic in her endorsement of the Tactix shooter at Tuesday's post-match press conference in Auckland. Her protégé shot 81 per cent across the two-test series against South Africa (83 percent and 78 percent respectively).
Taumaunu gleefully told reporters she was "happy" with how her shooters were tracking just over a week out from world netball’s showpiece in Sydney. She also heaped praise on all four shooters in Mes, Jodi Brown, Maria Tutaia and newcomer Malia Paseka who shot in the low 80s-high 70s across the Proteas' matches and the one-off test against the Fiji Pearls.
But is missing almost 20 per cent of your shots in an international fixture really acceptable? Particularly when you consider the tourists' minnow status and the absence of any stifling defence.
Pressure? It just simply wasn't there.
Concerns have been raised about whether the three tests have provided the World Cup 2011 and 2007 silver medallists with the right level of preparation ahead of Sydney.
It's my understanding Silver Ferns' management made approaches to Australian officials late last year to get lead-in matches locked down before the tournament, but the Diamonds refused. Aussie gamesmanship at its best - absolutely.
It would be hard to convince anybody that three test matches adequately replicated the type of pressure the Ferns will face in the World Cup's latter stages. Given that fact, I would argue our shooting accuracy should've been higher than what was produced and that 80 percent shouldn't be our benchmark, especially if we're serious about securing that gold medal.
The Silver Ferns haven’t lifted the World Cup trophy aloft since Jamaica in 2003. There, Irene van Dyk became the queen of Kingston, dropping just two of her 43 attempts (90 percent), ably supported by goal attack, Belinda Colling (8/10, 82 percent) in the 49-47 victory.
But the New Zealand gold medal drought began in Auckland in 2007 and continued in Singapore four years later.
In Asia, van Dyk missed just one of her 35 attempts (97 percent) in the final. In a cruel twist of fate, that one goal ended up being the deciding factor in handing Australia yet another title.
It's difficult to comprehend how the Ferns could possibly challenge the all-conquering Aussies with anything less than shooting in the 90s. I don’t think it's out of line to demand that level of excellence if the Ferns are going to come close to challenging the Diamonds on their home turf.
In sport, there is always talk about "getting the one per centers," but in this case, could missing 20 per cent be the death knell for the Silver Ferns' gold medal quest? While Taumaunu is publicly happy to pull on the rose-tinted glasses, privately, I suspect, there is genuine unease about shooting accuracy rates.
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