Silver Ferns leave it late to pip South Africa in thriller and sweep Taini Jamison Trophy

Sunday, 28 September 2025

At Stadium Southland, Invercargill: Silver Ferns 57 (Grace Nweke: 49/54, Martina Salmon: 8/10) South Africa 56 (Elmere van der Berg: 46/51, Owethu Ngubane: 10/14) 1Q: 8-12, HT: 23-29, 3Q: 41-43.

The Silver Ferns survived an almighty scare to sweep the Taini Jamison Trophy series against South Africa.

A critical turnover win from Maddy Gordon and game-winning goal from Martina Salmon helped the Ferns win a nailbiter 57-56 on Sunday in Invercargill.

The Ferns had already won the series heading into the third test, but for most of the game it looked like South Africa would pull off a famous away win.

Salmon, in just her third test, had ice in her veins, landing the match-winner with one second to go to clinch victory.

Gordon, who had been off in the first half after tweaking her ankle, returned and helped produce the match-altering play.

Her defensive pick-up was pivotal with South Africa sniffing victory and looking to push ahead by two goals in the dying seconds. Switched to wing defence, Gordon picked the pocket of wing attack Kamogelo Maseko as she tried to gather the ball.

New Zealand also had to overcome centre Kimiora Poi being sent from the court for two minutes with three to go for intentional obstruction. Poi had already been on a warning.

Now, all eyes turn to Netball New Zealand (NNZ) and Dame Noeline Taurua’s future as head coach.

With the Constellation Cup against Australia looming, NNZ’s board must quickly decide whether a resolution can be reached with the decorated coach, or if her position is untenable.

Taurua was sensationally stood down 10 days before the series started, stemming back to a training camp in Sydney in January, where a group of players raised concerns about her leadership and communication style.

Things got ugly from there and relations could not be mended before the Taini Jamison Trophy.

With the opening Constellation Cup test on October 17 at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena, time is ticking for NNZ.

Yvette McCausland-Durie, who stepped in as interim head coach at short notice, has indicated this was just a one-off series for her.

Following the Constellation Cup, the Ferns also have a Northern UK tour against Scotland and England in November.

Trailing for much of the game, New Zealand finally hit the front early in the final quarter (47-46) on a Grace Nweke goal from a pinpoint Mila Reuelu-Buchanan feed.

An 8-3 burst to start the last term, saw the Ferns sneak ahead 49-46, having been playing catch-up for most of the game.

But, South Africa never went away and tied the game with five to play at 53 apiece.

South Africa were dreaming of a historical first away win over the Ferns at halftime, leading 29-23. The Proteas had beaten New Zealand just once in 40 previous contests when future Ferns great Irene van Dyk led them to a momentous win at the 1995 Netball World Championships in Birmingham.

It was sluggish stuff from the Ferns, who turned the ball over 16 times in the first half and battled to bring the intensity. Goal shoot Elmere van der Berg, who was so impressive in the second test on Wednesday, racked up 24 goals in the first half, leading to plenty of nervous faces in the Stadium Southland crowd.

South Africa were polished with their links on attack, punishing the Ferns’ mistakes. They scored off 12 of the 16 turnover conversions in the first half, which was the key difference between the sides.

Nweke torched South Africa in the first two tests, but New Zealand struggled to get the ball into their star shooter in the first half, courtesy of swarming Proteas’ defence.

New Zealand scored just eight goals in the first quarter, turning the ball over at will and struggling to establish their connections.

Nweke, who was captain for the night, was visibly frustrated by her side’s lack of execution on attack.

The usually seamless link between Nweke and wing attack Peta Toeava was not there in the first half with South Africa pouncing on mistakes.

Whatever McCausland-Durie said to her player at halftime seemed to wake the Ferns up.

They went on a 8-3 run to start the second half, trimming South Africa’s lead to one (33-32).

By the end of the third quarter, New Zealand had clawed it back, but South Africa still had their noses in front, clinging to a 43-41 advantage.

Finally, the Ferns found some confidence on attack when they needed it most and the goals started to follow.

The game ebbed and flowed in the final quarter, but Gordon’s key defensive gain and Salmon’s crunch goal sealed a gutsy Ferns’ fightback.