Plummer targets Silver Ferns' shooter

Coach Norma Plummer has challenged her tallest defender Susan Fuhrmann to stand up
and nullify New Zealand's deadly shooter Irene van Dyk in Sunday's opening netball
Test against the Silver Ferns.
Both teams head into the three-match series having lost to a World Selection, with
Australia going down in a one-off clash and New Zealand twice in three games.
With her most established goalkeepers Bianca Chatfield and Laura Geitz both injured,
Fever defender Fuhrmann will get the job on van Dyk, the most capped player in
international netball history.
Fuhrmann, who at 196cm is equal tallest player in the trans-Tasman competition, will
enjoy a 6cm height advantage over van Dyk, but is vastly less experienced than the
37-year-old shooter.
Injuries have delayed Fuhrmann's progress in recent years and limited her to just
four international appearances, but Plummer made it clear she expected tall defender
to step up at Sydney's Acer Arena on Sunday.
"(Van Dyk) is such a weapon and this is where young Fuhrmann has got to now stand
up," Plummer told AAP on Friday.
"She did alright for two quarters the other night (against the world selection), so
she's got to start to produce that now more and more and the only way she's going to
do it is by letting her have a crack at it.
"She's got the height, so she's to be able to get up there. She's not the most
agile, but that's where we've got to work with her and help her along."
Plummer said there was only a 50-50 chance of midcourt veteran Natalie von Bertouch
recovering in time from a chest injury.
Captain Sharelle McMahon felt the Diamonds merely needed to tweak a few things in
the wake of Wednesday's 52-43 loss to the World Selection.
New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken was diplomatic when asked whether the Silver Ferns
could potentially exploit a relatively inexperienced Australian defence end.
"I have to say that Julie Corletto is probably one of the most outstanding
(Australian) defenders so I think she probably would have been on court there anyway
and certainly Susan (Fuhrmann) has had a very good season and she's actually really
tall," Aitken told AAP.
"While losing that experience will obviously be costly, I think they will shore it
up pretty really well."
While Australia has been hit by injury for the second straight year, Aitken
emphasised she had also had to deal with missing players due to three pregnancies.