Reeling from three heavy defeats in the opening three matches as well as the loss of their captain Casey Kopua to a serious knee injury, the Ferns took it to Australia for three quarters last night, before a 17-9 final quarter blow-out saw the Diamonds blitz home 51-47 to record a series clean sweep.
It was easily the New Zealand side's best performance of the series, and certainly a morale-booster for the side in the wake of some ugly losses. But having come so close to finally cracking this Aussie outfit, who have now won nine straight matches against the Ferns, the home side would have been incredibly disappointed with the result.
But it was a result that seemed inevitable heading into last night's match given the sustained period of dominance the Australia had enjoyed in the build-up. The real intrigue was in what the gap between the two sides would be.
The Diamonds, gunning to become the first team to record a series clean sweep since the Constellation Cup was introduced in 2010, wanted to win and win well. The Ferns meanwhile were seeking a morale-boosting performance after what has been an awful series for the home side.
The Ferns vowed to fight back in Auckland to honour their captain, who was still in hospital last night following surgery to reattach her patella tendon. And it was clear from the outset how motivated they were.
Laura Langman, who assumed the captaincy duties in the absence of Kopua, looked particularly fired up, dictating the pace of the game on attack and coming up with brilliant ball on defence. It was a big night for Langman, who last night became the Ferns' second most-capped player behind Irene van Dyk.
The homeside were committed on defence right throughout the court, with the zone defence causing the Australian side, who featured a new shooting partnership of Caitlin Thwaites and Tegan Caldwell, all sorts of problems.
While getting their hands on the ball was not a problem, getting the ball through the hoop was. Rookie Fern Bailey Mes, starting in her first test at goal shoot, had a nervous start in the circle, shooting at just 50 per cent in the opening spell.
Unable to finish off a lot of their strong defensive work at the other end of the court, the Ferns trailed 12-11 at the first break.
The Ferns added another youngster to the mix in the second period, with 20-year-old defender Temalisi Fakahokotau making her test debut home court. The impressive youngster made her presence felt in the circle, coming up with some good ball against Thwaites.
She was helped by suffocating defence outside the circle as Laura Langman and Joline Henry put the Australian feeders under strong pressure.
Trailing 22-21 at halftime, the Australian side were forced to revert back to their first-string side for the second half – a minor victory in itself for the Ferns.
But the change didn't immediately pay off for the Diamonds as New Zealand extended their lead to 38-34 heading into the final period as Mes, who displayed impressive movement and elevation, finally found her touch.
But having scrapped and fought so hard throughout the game, the Ferns came unstuck in the final period, as they were overrun by the fresher, fitter Australian side.
- Dana Johannsen of the New Zealand Herald
