There's been a lot of growth in the Silver Ferns since their last meeting with the Australian Diamonds, experienced defender Phoenix Karaka says.
Phoenix Karaka at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at NEC Arena in Birmingham, England. Photo: JAMES ROSS
The Silver Ferns meet Australia in the Constellation Cup series, starting with the first Test in Auckland tomorrow night.
The last meeting between the two long-time rivals was in January's Quad Series in England, with the Diamonds coming out on top 53-39.
It was also Karaka's first Test after coming back from having her first child.
"In the January tour I was coming back from having a baby and just kind of getting back in the gist of things. But now I feel like I'm being really solid in my position, physically I'm feeling fit so I think I'm in a better space confidence-wise to take on Aussie," Karaka said.
"This team is so different from that January tour that it's really exciting ...in a way they won't really know what's going to come to them because we've got new people but also we've grown so much from that tour."
There's a lot of anticipation around the series, given that the two sides didn't meet at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
With Jane Watson and Karin Burger still to return to the fold, Karaka has become one of the key components in the defensive end.
Karaka and Kelly Jury are the common denominators for the four Test series, with Elle Temu and Sulu Fitzpatrick just playing one leg each.
Wing defence/goal defence slide Kayla Johnson might also get more time inside the circle during the Test series.
Karaka's combination with Jury is still relatively new and she believed they were starting to read each other well.
"If something's not working we work really well to have those conversations about what next and what we could do better so I think we're still growing in that area but it is a lot better than what it was in Commonwealth Games.
" ...I think we're getting a lot better and a lot sharper in terms of what we want from each other and asking and demanding that of each other."
Karaka has spent several seasons playing with veteran Fitzpatrick at the Northern Mystics, who's known for being loud on court.
"If Sulu's not on I know that I need to have more of a presence with my voice because Sulu does bring the voice in our defensive end. But I think we've learnt as a unit if she's not on we've got to pick it up somehow.
"I think that also gives us the opportunity to then connect on a different level as well when we don't have Sulu at the back. We've got to start pulling our own weight when it comes to communication and stuff like that."
The Silver Ferns are the current holders of the Constellation Cup after beating Australia 3-1 in March last year, ending a nine-year drought.
But the Diamonds are back on top of the world after winning gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Star Australian shooter Gretel Bueta dropped a bombshell last week when she pulled out of the series after announcing she was expecting her second child.
Karaka said it wouldn't change the Silver Ferns' game plan.
"We want to focus on what we know we can do well up against their play. I think we've got a great game plan to what our strengths are and if we can focus on that I feel like we can get ball.
"And Australia haven't played our Kiwi style since the January tour so there's also that aspect of surprise element as well that we have. We've got a few things up our sleeve to surprise them and give them a bit of the heebie jeebies.
"It doesn't really matter who's in that circle the game style is always the same, Gretel just offers that athleticism that we haven't seen in a very long time.
"Also we need to be a lot more physical in terms of our body checks and all that kind of stuff. They're always going to have that speed, we need to stick together as a unit, that's how we create chances and get ball."
Not a hundred percent
When Karaka got Covid earlier this year, it stuck around a long time and the 28-year-old said she still wasn't 100 percent.
"And talking to a few of the other girls who had it and then had a bit of the flu afterwards are similar in that we are still finding it hard during a warm-up.
"There's still the element of a little bit of fatiguing and struggle to breath in the warm-up but by the time we get through to the full on training we are able to recover and get to where we need to be."
"I think that's something that's come out in the research ...you might not hit 100 percent when you're an elite athlete because you put your body under so much pressure. We're nearing that, but I wouldn't say we are 100 percent all the time."
Phoenix Karaka and Sulu Fitzpatrick at the Quad series in January. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Karaka said being asthmatic both she and team-mate Fitzpatrick were hit hard.
"I find that you just find a way. If you're feeling a bit breathless you just take your time to take those deep breaths and I've worked with a mental skills coach and with breathing specialists to help me with techniques if I feel like I am getting that feeling of hyperventilating."
Karaka said because of the physical pressure they put their bodies under, it was hard to differentiate between the residual effects of Covid or simple fatigue.
"We're always going to feel a bit fatigued and a bit breathless and it's always going to be hard to compare to where we were before Covid.
"But we're still able to maintain high intensity, it doesn't really stop us from anything, it's just how we're able to cope with being breathless."