Especially when you have not won a third quarter against your opposition in nine games.
The Silver Ferns can now make that 10 after their 18-12 deficit in the third quarter became their undoing in their 59-55 loss to the England Roses in Porirua tonight.
The win means the Roses secure the Taini Jamison Trophy for the first time since 2021 and make the final test in Invercargill on Sunday a dead rubber.
For the most part, the Silver Ferns, who fought back to win the final quarter, played well.
But they put themselves under unnecessary pressure, stopped punching through the middle and went into their shells in the second half.
They found themselves on top of each other, using the same channels and did not pick up the gains they had in the first half.
The Roses ground the Silver Ferns down, and when the openings presented, the Roses made no mistake.
It was a tidy start, the teams going goal-for-goal for much of the first quarter.
Whitney Souness, who sat out the first test, used her speed to cut through the mess.
She put the ball into space and her relationship with Maddy Gordon came to the fore, allowing the midcourters to feed off each other.
Young Roses goal attack Berri Neil, who got the start over veteran Helen Housby, worked off her London Pulse partner Liv Tchine.
But the Roses lacked an experienced in their attack – and Kelly Jackson pounced.
Her reach made it nearly impossible for clean ball to reach the circle and her Central Pulse team-mate Parris Mason, who got her first start at goal defence, backed her up.
Jackson’s three gains helped the Silver Ferns to a 16-13 lead.
That saw Housby enter for the Roses as they looked to use her nous to settle.
They closed the gap to within one, but the Silver Ferns withstood that pressure.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio turned to post with confidence and used her experience to roll the top.
She helped keep Roses threat Funmi Fadoju pretty quiet, which opened Grace Nweke up.
Jackson boxed out and took a big rebound to give the Silver Ferns a four-goal lead.
Desperate to get back in touch, Imogen Allison stole a brilliant pocket intercept.
She then shifted into centre, with Beth Cobden injected at wing defence, as the Roses returned to the starting line-up from test one.
Tchine scored right on the buzzer for the Roses to trail 28-27 – and win the second quarter 14-12 – at halftime.
The Silver Ferns' timing through court was slightly off to start the third, a result of the pressured defence from the Roses.
That was quickly rectified to give the home side a 33-29 lead.
But any time the Silver Ferns jumped out, the Roses fought back.
The visitors' zone pushed the Silver Ferns wide, and they became stunted on attack as the Roses took a one-goal lead.
The lead change saw Karin Burger injected at wing defence, and Gordon returned to centre, as they looked for a more direct entry.
The Roses looked more fluid in their transition, and where the entry into the Roses circle had been difficult in the first half, it became all too easy.
They held a 45-40 lead at the break.
Erena Mikaere entered the court in the final quarter, earning her second cap, 2088 days since her last test.
Maia Wilson played her 50th cap for the Silver Ferns.
