Unrelenting defensive pressure laid the base for the Silver Ferns' lop-sided 63-24 win over South Africa in their quad series netball Test at TECT Arena in Tauranga on Sunday.
It took the Proteas nearly seven minutes to score their first goal as New Zealand raced away to a 9-0 lead.
Ahead 18-5 at the end of the first quarter, and with a huge supply of turnover ball, the Silver Ferns were always going to be too fast and too strong for the struggling Proteas.
New Zealand's zone defence forced the South Africans wide and set up a series of looping cross-court passes which were easy fodder for circle defenders Katrina Grant and Casey Williams.
Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia were not at their pinpoint best, but it didn't matter as the Silver Ferns raced away to a 31-10 lead at halftime.
Van Dyk finished with 21 from 23, and Tutaia managed 10 from 14 as coach Waimarama Taumaunu switched the shooting combination in bringing on Jodi Brown and Cathrine Latu.
Latu shot a perfect game in sinking all 27 attempts on goal and looked sharp in her combinations with her feeders and Brown.
The New Zealanders lost a little structure in the third quarter and Taumaunu wouldn't have been entirely satisfied with the accuracy or a mounting error rate as she looks to the final showdown against Australia in Hamilton on Thursday.
There were still some positives, with the combination between centre Laura Langman, wing attack Millie Lees, Brown and Latu developing nicely.
Taumaunu also rejigged her defensive lines, mixing and matching Anna Harrison, Kayla Cullen, Grant, Williams and Leana de Bruin over the four quarters.
Langman earned a rare rest for the last 15 minutes with New Zealand leading 47-15, Lees shifting to centre and youngster Bailey Mes given another stint at wing attack.
For South Africa, livewire centre Bongiwe Msomi worked hard in driving the midcourt while Chrisna Bootha finished with hard-won figures of 15 from 24.
NZN
NZN
