Although the Spar Proteas finished the Taini Jamison Trophy series with a whitewash, coach Jenny van Dyk believes the team is on the right track.
South Africa lost all three matches to New Zealand in their first stop of the Australasian tour. The Silver Ferns completely ran away with the first two matches, winning 77-51 and 70-58 respectively. However, van Dyk’s players came in hot in the third match and only lost the game on the last second by a single point, taking the game 57-56.
Van Dyk says she is pleased with the progress the team made in the series.
“I would describe the series as going from strength to strength. Obviously, we wanted to start on the note that we finished, unfortunately, we didn’t get to win in the end, but we have seen the players’ confidence growing. They are so coachable at the moment that at this rate of improvement, we can get excited about our long-term goals,” says van Dyk.
The Proteas looked set to upset the Ferns in the final match, having led from the first quarter, only to lose the clash. Van Dyk says the loss hurts, but she is happy with how her players handled themselves.
“It hurts a lot. It is one of the closest matches we have played against one of the best teams in the world. Those key moments at the end of the match, we have done a lot of work on while we are getting our players to be as competitive as possible. But these situations are so tricky to read, it comes with experience and exposure to competitive matches, where they can learn to handle those moments. It excites me so much to know that they did choose a strategy, even though the strategy didn’t give us a win. They are really taking accountability, reading the game, and they are thinking for themselves on the court. That is phenomenal to see,” she says.
The former Spar Baby Proteas coach believes there are pointers that the team will take going forward as preparations and build-up for the Commonwealth Games and the 2027 Netball World Cup continue.
“There are many lessons to take from this. We have about nine months left to the Commonwealth Games, and we have encountered five different styles, including those of Malawi, Uganda, England, Jamaica, and now New Zealand. Very different approaches to the games, and I think they (players) have a good understanding, they are getting a lot of notes, and we are hard at work with the eye on Australia (that’s) next. A good recovery will be needed before we take on Australia,” she explains.
The senior national team will be hoping to do better in their next series as they face the world champions. The Proteas will take on the Origin Diamonds in a three-test match series from 4 to 12 October. Although South Africa has not been able to defeat Australia in the 46 ties the two have met, van Dyk is confident her side will do well against the 12 times champions.
“We will approach the Australian leg very differently from the New Zealand leg. It is a very different style of play, but we are going there confident and ready to understand what intensity is required for us to be competitive. We have our work cut out for us, and our turnaround time is not that much, but we are probably as ready as we’ve ever been to take on Australia at this stage,” says the former Gauteng Jaguars coach.
The series saw captain Khanyisa Chawane join the centurion club. Former skipper Bongiwe Msomi, Karla Pretorius, Erin Burger, Maryka Holtzhausen, and Phumza Maweni are the other players who have donned the green and gold over a 100 times. Chawane made her Proteas debut in 2018 and has gone on to represent South Africa at two World Cups and played in six Africa Netball Cups.
“My 100th cap shows my resilience, heart, and my commitment towards this team. Through the ups and downs of the Proteas and being part of it. It has been an honour, and I just want to continue showing up for this team and do well. I am so proud of myself. I am looking forward to showing up even more for this group,” says Chawane.