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Silver Fern Laura Langman - Source: Getty Images
Captain Laura Langman hit the Constellation Cup series on the head.
Lost 3-2 to Australia, following a 44-41 defeat in last night's deciding Test in Melbourne, these had been matches that the Silver Ferns should have won.
"It's really disappointing because we had the personnel and we also had the game plan and it just comes down to execution," Langman said after the match at Hisense Arena.
"We'll definitely have pebbles, or boulders more like it, under our beach towels this summer."
And they should. The Silver Ferns led by seven goals at one stage last night but, as Langman said, failed to continue executing their skills when Australia rallied.
That meant a losing start to Waimarama Taumaunu's tenure as head coach, even though she felt the series had still been a valuable exercise.
"Definitely. As a coach, getting thrown in late was unexpected and it took a little while to get my mind around it," said Taumaunu, who assumed the job when incumbent Ruth Aitken brought forward her retirement.
"Having said that, to come in and see Australia and to see the players that are here has been fantastic and great learning for me. So a great way to start the four years, although I would have preferred a different result."
And to get one of those next year, and all the years that follow until the 2015 world championships, Taumaunu needs to develop more players capable of competing against Australia. Proven performers like Casey Williams and Katrina Grant weren't on this trip and the coach believes she has another three or four floating around that can step up to this level.
Kayla Cullen and Cathrine Latu were the only bench players used in these matches and both performed usefully. But success against Australia is about more than just competing.
It's about absorbing pressure, and then fighting through it, and that is an art that's eluding this team right now.
Langman said the problem was not psychological and that she and her team-mates weren't inclined to panic whenever Australia posed them questions. Taumaunu agreed, even if the evidence from these games in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne is probably against them.
"We're chipping away at that, we just need to do it for 60-plus minutes. I definitely think we've got the personnel, it's the start of a four-year cycle and it's the pinnacle events where it happens and I'm confident we'll make it happen when we get there," Langman said.
