Can Silver Ferns defend the World Cup for the first time?

Analysis - Over the next two weeks the Silver Ferns will attempt to do something they've never done before - win back-to-back Netball World Cups. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe looks at their chances.

The 16th edition of the Netball World Cup gets underway in South Africa this Friday, where the Silver Ferns will be hoping to defend the title they won four years ago.

The Netball World Cup first started in 1963 and Australia has dominated the four yearly event, winning 11 titles.

New Zealand has won five - in 1967, 1979 (joint champions with Australia, Trinidad and Tobago), 1987, 2003, and of course in 2019, after a 16-year drought.

Since the finals format was introduced in 1991, New Zealand and Australia have contested every final bar one, in 1995 when South Africa upset the Silver Ferns to make the final.

But England and Jamaica have improved considerably over the past few years, which makes winning gold even harder.

The general consensus based on recent form puts Australia as slight favourites. In the same breath there is every reason to believe that Jamaica and New Zealand can win gold.

Australian commentator Sue Gaudion said it was difficult to predict where the medals would fall.

"I don't know that anyone goes into this favourites. I think this will by far be the toughest World Cup we've ever seen ... teams are growing closer and closer, it will be the team that steps up on the day," Gaudion said.

The return of an experienced trio, the luxury of a six-week build up, and a coach who knows how to get a team peaking when it counts gives the Silver Ferns every chance.

New Zealand are on the same side of the draw as Jamaica and South Africa, while England and Australia will be jockeying for semi-final spots in the other group.

Silver Ferns

The Silver Ferns will be a far stronger side to the one that went to last year's Commonwealth Games with Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Karin Burger, and Jane Watson back in the squad.

Grace Nweke went into the Commonwealth Games with just four test caps, none being full games. Kate Heffernan debuted in Birmingham and looked like she belonged straight away.

The pair have played just about every minute of every test since then so will be so much more assured in Cape Town.

Former Australian shooter Vicki Wilson said the return of Ekenasio was huge for New Zealand.

"She is a remarkable shooter and she just finds the net and also she plays that true goal attack game where she's able to stop, re-offer, go again but she can also ably feed Nweke so she's a great sidekick for Nweke.

"And she can take the long shots so if they want to double up on Nweke, knock yourself out, Ameliaranne is going to come through. And she really did have a breakout 2019 World Cup," Wilson said.

Coach Dame Noeline Taurua has also picked a midcourt with speed to burn.

The Silver Ferns probably go in as the most well prepared team of the tournament having had three camps together, thanks to an early finish to the domestic league.

Former England coach Tracey Neville said Dame Noeline's biggest strength was getting a team peaking when it mattered.

"I think the threat with this team is that what she's done is she knew when she went into the Commonwealth Games last year her team probably weren't a gold medal championship team," Neville said.

"But what she did is she established players in positions, she gave people experience, she took out the win (bronze medal) when she needed it under huge pressure, if you look at when they lost to England in the preliminary rounds.

"She's very very good at moving chess pieces and playing the right players against the right team at the right time and bringing in the players that can do a role for her and I think that's where her added strength as a head coach is exceptional."

Who stands in their way?

South Africa

The home side is not necessarily destined for a podium finish, but they could pull off an upset.

Netball South Africa is throwing everything it has at the Proteas with the country hosting its first ever World Cup.

Karla Pretorius and Lenize Potgieter have returned to the side and veteran Australian coach Norma Plummer is back in charge after answering an SOS call following last year's sixth placed finish at the Commonwealth Games.

Plummer took the squad down to Australia for a camp in February and held an intense three-week training camp in South Africa in March for the players who do not ply their trade in the Australian and UK leagues.

The Proteas only just missed out on making the 2019 title match after a two goal loss to Australia in the semi-finals.

Jamaica and the Silver Ferns will have to keep their wits about them to beat the hosts.

South Africa may quietly be disappointed that they are not on the same side of the pool as England, who they held to a draw in January.

Jamaica

When the Silver Ferns meet Jamaica during the second stage of the tournament, the result will likely determine who tops the combined C and D pools, and who has the more difficult cross over match in the semis.

Jamaica finished with silver at last year's Commonwealth Games, their best ever result. There is no reason they cannot go all the way in Cape Town.

Most of the players who competed in last year's final in Birmingham are back and will be better for the experience.

Jamaica are a difficult opponent for the Silver Ferns because the last time they played them in a meaningful way was at the Commonwealth Games a year ago.

The woefully under strength Jamaican side that came to New Zealand in September for two tests barely resembles the team the Silver Ferns will meet in Cape Town.

Silver Ferns' goal shoot Grace Nweke has only had half a game against sensational goal keep Shamera Sterling.

At the other end of the court prolific goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler has got the best volume in world netball, capable of putting up 50 or 60 shots a game.

That's why Dame Noeline has emphasised the need to have goal attacks who can put up 15 to 20 shots a game to support the goal shooter, and she has that in Ekenasio and Te Paea Selby-Rickit off the bench.

If the Silver Ferns can top their pool they will face the second placed team in the other group, which is likely to be England.

England

The England Roses have had a disappointing 12 months. They finished fourth at last year's Commonwealth Games, and were held to a draw in January's Quad Series by South Africa, who are a bit of a bogey team for them.

Veteran shooter Jo Harten has since retired from internationals.

But what they have got going for them are Eleanor Cardwell and Helen Housby - two of the most in form shooters in Australia's Super Netball competition.

If Cardwell and Housby can continue their form and reach their potential as a combination they could be lethal with both capable of shooting from long range.

The Roses have an experienced defensive end between World Cup veteran Geva Mentor and Layla Guscoth, while relative newcomer Funmi Fadoju will add some spunk.

But England's midcourt appears to be a bit lacklustre and could struggle against the speed of Australia and New Zealand.

Australia

If the Silver Ferns finish second in their group they will likely have to meet Australia in the semi-finals.

The Diamonds have only had a two-week lead in time to the World Cup and some see that as a risk for the Commonwealth Games champions.

But Sue Gaudion said it was out of the hands of the Australian coach.

"Stacey Marinkovich desperately wanted six weeks, she just didn't win the battle."

Gaudion is also general manager (performance & pathways) at the West Coast Fever and was involved in the decision making process around the dates for Australia's netball league (SSN).

"SSN ultimately landed where it did and the cards were dealt for Marinkovich and she'll do what she needs to do with those cards at the World Cup," Gaudion said.

Australia's strength will be their speed throughout and a fast moving shooting circle that New Zealand defenders have found hard to keep up with at times.

That was evident at January's Quad Series when both wing attack Liz Watson and goal attack Steph Wood proved a handful.

Wood can counter the New Zealand style of play very well. In Australia's last three Tests against the Silver Ferns, she was the mastermind on attack, which left the Silver Ferns defenders chasing.

Dame Noeline will be thinking very carefully about which of her defenders is best equipped to mark Wood.

Australia also has the advantage that their players compete against the best Jamaican and England players week in week out during SSN, so they are more familiar with them.

Only time will tell when the 10-day competition concludes with the grand final early on Monday, 7 August (NZ time).

The Silver Ferns start their campaign against Trinidad and Tobago on Friday night.

Preliminaries Stage 1

• Friday 28 July - Silver Ferns v Trinidad & Tobago - 7pm
• Saturday 29 July - Silver Ferns v Uganda - 7pm
• Sunday 30 July - Silver Ferns v Singapore - 9pm