Australia rued some missed opportunities but unearthed an exciting new defensive talent in their 53-50 netball loss to New Zealand at Acer Arena on Sunday.

The world champion Diamonds trailed for most of the game apart from a short period in the second quarter.

Down by five in the first and third quarters, Australia got within one with just over five minutes to go but four straight goals sealed the game for New Zealand.

Australian coach Norma Plummer was pleased with the determination shown by her understrength side and particularly happy with the striking performance of 23-year-old goalkeeper Susan Fuhrmann.

With more senior goalkeepers Bianca Chatfield and Laura Geitz both sidelined, Fuhrmann, whose own career has been blighted by injury, capitalised on her opportunity to produce a player-of-the-match performance.

Playing on the formidable Irene van Dyk, world netball’s most capped player, 196-centimetre Fuhrmann used her six-centimetre height advantage to good effect.

Making her just her fifth Test appearance, Fuhrmann responded to Plummer’s pre-match challenge to lift for the task of shutting down prolific van Dyk (37 from 40).

“I’m thankful to Norma for giving me the opportunity and I just really wanted to get out there and prove that I’m a goalkeeper who can step up and do the job,” said Fuhrmann.

“I think we played well but there were so many crucial moments in the game when we let things slip.”

Plummer felt her team improved on their performance in the nine-goal loss to the World Selection in Adelaide last Wednesday.

“We weren’t wasting anywhere near the same amount of balls, we put up more shots (than New Zealand) and I have to say that Fuhrmann has grown in leaps and bounds in that game,” Plummer told reporters.

“She can only get better when she starts to read the ball even quicker.”

Australia had three more attempts, but paid the price for a sluggish start, conceding the first five goals and taking almost five minutes to register on the scoresheet.

They shot more effectively in the second half, when Plummer opted to replace Catherine Cox who shot just 11 from 18, with her NSW Swifts team-mate Susan Pratley.

With skipper Sharelle McMahon (27 from 33) moving across to goalshooter and Pratley (12 from 15) both shooting a good percentage, the smaller and more mobile Australian attack caused the Silver Ferns defence more problems than in the first half.

Plummer made one enforced change to her starting seven with Kimberlee Green replacing vice-captain and centre Natalie von Bertouch, who is nursing a chest injury.

It was the 12th successive trans-Tasman game decided by a single-digit margin and the first of five Tests this month between the two great rivals.

New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken was delighted with the composure her team showed in the last few minutes.

“It would have been easy to capitulate with Aussie getting a few leg-ups and I thought we fought tooth and nail to stay ahead,” Aitken told reporters.

“I take confidence from the way the win was ground out, but we’ve got a long way to go yet.”

Plummer said she didn’t know whether von Bertouch would be fit for the second Test in Melbourne on Wednesday.

© AAP 2012

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