The Silver Ferns have snapped a four-game losing streak, stretching back to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, with an emphatic 61-37 Quad Series netball win over South Africa in Tauranga.
After an unconvincing performance under new coach Noeline Taurua and captain Laura Langman in their series opener, New Zealand steadied the ship with a much-needed victory over opponents they had only ever lost to once before, 23 years ago.
"It was a total improvement from our last outing against England," beamed Taurua. "There were moments I thought we looked like a team that worked for each other.
"I'm rapt."
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Veteran goal attack Maria Folau showed her true international class with a near-faultless shooting display, converting 35 of her 37 attempts, after a sub-par outing against the Roses on Saturday.
By contrast to that record loss, the Silver Ferns rocketed out of the blocks this time, conceding the first goal off South Africa’s centre-pass, but then rattling in 11 of their own, unanswered.
During that period, the Proteas simply could not find safe passage through midcourt and into the shooting circle, and when they did, goal attack Maryka Holtzhausen had a bad case of the yips.
They had competed strongly against Australia in their series opener, before falling away over the second half. This time, they were never allowed in the contest.
The Silver Fern combinations that looked so tentative three days earlier seemed far more assured with a little more breathing space, and the shooters that appeared so hesitant against England were locked firmly on target.
Folau had borne the brunt of criticism after that previous performance, but shot faultlessly (18/18) through the opening half, helping her side to the break 30-19 ahead.
By then, Holtzhausen, who had connected only two of her seven attempts, had given way to Ine-Mari Venter and South African shooter Lenize Potgeiter had lost her own perfect record in the final seconds of the second quarter.
A four-goal burst soon after the restart eased New Zealand a little further clear and by the end of the third quarter, the margin was 14 and Folau was still 27/27.
She finally missed her second attempt of the final period and by then, she had been joined in the shooting circle by teenage debutant Aliyah Dunn.
The Ferns opened that fourth quarter with a seven-goal run that put the result beyond doubt. Dunn, the best shooter during the recent ANZ Premiership season, showed little sign of her inexperience, connecting on nine of her 12 shots.
Captain Laura Langman, who started at centre, but shifted to wing defence, commanded the centrecourt, circle defenders Katrina Grant and Jane Watson had terrorised Holtzhausen into early submission, and wing attack Gina Crampton provided her shooters all the opportunities they needed around the goal.
"I think you start with a game plan, but intuition has to come as well," reflected Langman. "At times, we gave ourselves licence to play how we like to play – it was very nice.
"This week, we talked about not transferred pressure and making sure our passes had a bit move love on the them. We know our shooters can shoot and they definitely delivered tonight.
"We have to be realistic. It's always nice to have a win, but we want the product to be right.
"We want to put on consistent performance, quarter after quarter."
The rebooted Silver Ferns did that against South Africa – but Australia in Melbourne on Sunday will be a totally different proposition.
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