Silver Ferns look to end soap opera-like 2025 with victorious ending against England
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
What: Third test, Silver Ferns v England. Where: AO Arena, Manchester. When: 8am Thursday (NZT), live on Sky Sport 1.
ANALYSIS: It seems only fitting that a gripping series decider caps off the most chaotic Silver Ferns campaign in history.
There has been no shortage of drama surrounding the Ferns in 2025 with the Dame Noeline Taurua coaching saga hogging the headlines.
More suspense looks set to follow in a winner-takes-all showdown against England in Manchester on Thursday (NZT) to determine what has been a thrilling series.
Taurua officially returns to the Silver Ferns coaching position next year having been reinstated following an ugly 45-day stand-off with Netball New Zealand.
This will be the final game in charge for interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie, who has done a stellar job after being chucked into the role at short notice in September.
The Silver Ferns players will be eager to shut the book on a mentally draining 2025, where they have fielded relentless questions on the Taurua coaching situation, often without having all of the answers.
When the final whistle sounds in Manchester it will complete the Silver Ferns’ 12th international in 61 days, dating back to their first test against South Africa in Auckland in September. During that span, it regularly looked like Taurua might have coached the Ferns for the final time.
Relaxing at the beach and enjoying their annual leave will be in the back of the players’ minds. They will know full well their summer break would taste even better with a series win over the Roses.
“It’s the end for us. It’s been a really big international season, but it would be a quality one to finish,” McCausland-Durie said about the prospect of finishing with a series win.
There is every chance this match is the Ferns’ last international before the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, starting on July 23. NNZ will no doubt try and squeeze in some warm-up matches. With a tight turnaround after the ANZ Premiership and Australia’s Super Netball, where several leading Ferns are competing, it may be difficult.
A series win over England would put the Ferns in a positive place eight months out from the Commonwealth Games.
After a horror start to the Constellation Cup where the Ferns suffered demoralising back-to-back 17 goal losses in Australia, they have produced some memorable netball.
The Ferns’ play in the final two Constellation Cup matches on New Zealand soil was some of their best performances in recent years. They went within a whisker of retaining the trans-Tasman silverware only to be pipped in heartbreaking fashion in ‘series decider time’.
Those encouraging displays flowed over to the first test against England in London on Sunday with New Zealand holding on for the win.
England rebounded less than 24 hours later at the same venue by the exact same score (61-58), setting up a Manchester cliffhanger.
McCausland-Durie and the players would have been disappointed by their patchy third quarter play, having led by two at halftime.
Whenever a netball side loses after converting 100% of their attempts at goal it should sting.
New Zealand were flawless, landing 58 from 58, but England had 10 more attempts at goal and those extra possessions proved the difference.
Nineteen general play turnovers from the Ferns, six which came in the third quarter (where they were outscored 19-13) cost them any chance of victory.
Win in Manchester and the Ferns will know they are right in the hunt for Commonwealth Games gold, especially with Taurua coming back on board.
A loss would not be terminal, but would be a hollow way to finish a highly challenging year.