Silver Ferns just pipped in trophy opener

Silver Ferns wing attack Kimiora Poi looks for her options under the pressure of Roses wing defence Beth Cobden in the Taini Jamison Trophy series opener in Auckland last night. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

When Helen Housby is animated, you know you are in trouble.

The England Roses goal attack turned to her team-mates fired up when they took a four-point lead in the third quarter.

The championship quarter was the making of the Roses’ 59-58 win against the Silver Ferns in Auckland last night, as the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the Taini Jamison Trophy series.

Roses defender Funmi Fadoju was sensational and picked up a brave intercept with less than three minutes to go.

The Silver Ferns levelled the score 56-56 when Fadoju came through screaming against Grace Nweke.

The Ferns looked good in their first game since January and had some nice connections.

It was just their patience and discipline in not forcing the ball into the circle that hurt.

They will, however, need to tidy up their penalty count — 72-51 in favour of the Silver Ferns — ahead of Wednesday’s second test in Porirua.

It was everything you want for a first test — fiery, tight, and a big arm fight.

New Southern Steel midcourter Kimiora Poi started at wing attack — her first cap since 2022 — and teamed nicely with Maddy Gordon.

Poi started strongly, driving hard on to to the ball and found nice space in to Nweke at the back.

Gordon, hampered by injury during the domestic season, was back to her best, punching on to everything and hit the circle edge hard.

The Silver Ferns defensive duo of Kelly Jackson and Karin Burger, in place of Phoenix Karaka who has been ruled out of the series with illness, worked hard. Combined with wing defence Kate Heffernan, they pressured the Roses to shut down options.

The Silver Ferns led 15-14 at the break. They went on a run to open the second quarter, until Fadoju clicked into gear.

Fadoju picked off ball with her aerial jump and started to shut down the Silver Ferns lines.

At the other end, Housby and Liv Tchine fired. Housby was the linchpin, taking nearly every second ball and positioning herself ball-side.

The Roses suffocated the Silver Ferns with a tight through-court zone, and the Ferns played into it as they lacked punch through the middle and went wide.

While the score remained tight, it felt as though the Roses had found their groove. But that did not show on the scoreboard with it locked 29-29 at halftime.

Claire O’Brien made her debut at wing attack in the second half and helped release through the zone. Maia Wilson also came in at goal attack early on, replacing captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, the only specialist goal attack selected for the series.

The Silver Ferns tried forcing the ball into Nweke and Roses goal keep Fran Williams picked them off.

Housby punished those mistakes at the other end and the Roses took a 40-36 lead.

Ekenasio and Gordon were injected again and closed the game to 45-44.

Parris Mason also made her debut late in the fourth quarter.