Silver Ferns lead Constellation Cup 2-0, but only a sweep makes them No 1

The Silver Ferns beat Australia 62-50 at Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch on Wednesday night and lead the Constellation Cup 2-0. A win in Sydney on Sunday clinches the Cup.

The world No 1 ranking is a different matter. Coach Dame Noeline Taurua told the NZ Herald: "We know we need to win four games for us to be number one, three will be even and anything less will be the same." This publication earlier reported that three wins would be enough to make New Zealand No 1. That was wrong.

According to the Herald, Australia top World Netball's rankings on 209, with New Zealand second on 203. Australia have been No 1 since 2013. The rankings are next updated on 1 December.

New Zealand led 17-14 at quarter-time and 33-26 at the half. Grace Nweke had shot 26 from 26 by the break.

New Zealand led by 11 early in the third quarter. Australia then reshuffled their defence. That was when the game turned. Kate Moloney moved to centre, Courtney Bruce went to goal defence and Jessie Grenvold, starting for the first time, went to goal keep. The Diamonds started winning ball in defence and got within two goals just before three-quarter time. They won the quarter 16-12, and New Zealand went into the final break 45-42 up.

Taurua made two changes. She brought Peta Toeava back on at wing attack and sent Te Paea Selby-Rickit on at goal attack for Georgia Heffernan. New Zealand opened the last quarter with a 10-3 run, by the ABC's count, and won the quarter 17-8.

Captain Karin Burger told Sky the team had trained to stay composed. "In the past we've been guilty of letting that lead slip and then not being able to fight back," she said, as quoted by the ABC.

Nweke finished on 49 from 52. With 90 seconds left she came off for Amelia Walmsley, one goal short of her 12th 50-goal Test. The Herald said a 12th would have taken her past Irene van Dyk's record of 11.

Toeava was the one change to New Zealand's 12, replacing Kimiora Poi. She had 29 feeds and 21 goal assists.

On the ODT's and ABC's figures, Australia gave away 82 penalties to New Zealand's 50, turned the ball over 18 times to New Zealand's 11, and had no gains (intercepts and deflections that win the ball) to New Zealand's nine. New Zealand shot 93 per cent and Australia 82.

"Critical moments, turnovers, basic errors, those sort of things. Disappointing, really disappointing," Diamonds captain Liz Watson said, according to the ABC.

Australia made two changes to their 12. Moloney, who had needed eight stitches in her finger, came back in for Jamie-Lee Price, out with a calf injury, and took Price's place at wing defence. Donnell Wallam replaced Cara Koenen. Wallam came on in the fourth quarter for her first game since 2024 and shot 7 from 9.

The loss stretches Australia's run of defeats in New Zealand to 12 Tests, and New Zealand are unbeaten in 2026. The ABC cited Fox Netball's figure that Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich has won only eight per cent of her Tests in New Zealand.

A 2-2 series is a real possibility: the Herald says four of the last six Constellation Cups finished level. Extra time has been scrapped, and the tiebreak is goal percentage according to the Herald, goal differential according to the Silver Ferns site. New Zealand lead on either. Across the two Tests, they have scored 118 goals and conceded 100.

The third Test is in Sydney on Sunday 25 October at 6pm NZT. The fourth is in Melbourne on Wednesday 28 October.

New Zealand have won only one of their past nine Tests in Australia, the Herald reported, and their last win there came in 2024. To become No 1, they have to win both.