Turns out they are a pretty handy quantity.
New Zealand yesterday gave the World Cup a major shake up, upsetting title favourite Australia 52-47 to top pool A. The win ended a nine game losing streak to its transtasman rival stretching back two years.
It was a hell of a way to snap a losing streak.
In front of a record netball crowd at Sydney's Allphones Arena - just what the organisers had been banking on when they grouped the world No 1 and No 2 sides in the same pool - the Ferns upstaged the home side with an assured and composed performance.
You would have thought the group had been playing together for years, rather than one month.
They were confident on attack, finding good length to their through court play, while the midcourters were courageous with their passing into the shooting circle. Defensively the Ferns were relentless, all seven players sticking to their task to ensure Australia seldom had an easy passage to goal.
Having rarely been challenged in their pre World Cup hit outs and early round robin clashes against Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, the result more than answered the big question hovering over the New Zealand side: how will the team respond when it is put under pressure?
Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu was delighted with the findings.
''This was the ultimate test of our preparation, so it was really exciting to know really how far had we come or had we just played opposition that allowed us to play the game we were trying to play?'' Taumaun said.
But she warns with several more tough games to come, it is too early to instil the New Zealand side as title favourite.
''One game is not a trend, but it is a good start,'' Taumaunu said.
Ten months ago, Allphones Arena was the site of one of the Ferns' darkest days. They suffered a heavy 48-34 defeat to Australia in the third test of the Constellation Cup, and lost their heroic skipper to a serious knee injury.
No one expected Casey Kopua to be back here for the World Cup, let alone dominating Caitlin Bassett, Australia's seemingly unstoppable super shooter, in yesterday's round robin clash.
Kopua was not the only star. Unheralded shooter Bailey Mes was mesmerising in the goal circle, showing slick footwork to outplay star Australian defender Laura Geitz.
She was well supported by Maria Tutaia who, after a shaky start, was soon at her brilliant long range shooting best, dropping in pressure shots from the circle edge with apparent ease. When they did not sink, more often than not Mes was there to mop up, picking up five offensive rebounds.
Laura Langman shone in the middle, playing with pace and urgency on attack, and forcing the Australian midcourt into many uncharacteristic errors with her relentless defensive effort.
Geitz said she was disappointed to see the Diamonds' 21 game unbeaten run come to an end, but believed it could be a turning point for her side.
''I think it is a good thing as a group to maybe experience early on. If we don't play to the standards we set that's what happens and that was a reality check for all of us,'' she said.
Both sides will now have a day off as they contemplate their assault on the second round.
Yesterday's win will put New Zealand on a more favourable side of the draw for the qualification round matches, with the Ferns in the same group as Jamaica, while Australia will meet England at some point over the next three days.
NZ v Australia
The scores
New Zealand 52
Maria Tutaia 34/48, Bailey Mes 18/21
Australia 47
Caitlin Bassett 38/43, Natalie Medhurst 6/7, Erin Bell 3/7
Quarter scores: 1st, 15-12; 2nd, 29-26; 3rd, 40-34
