Monday 28 November 2016 07:55, UK
We spoke to three former England internationals to assess the upcoming series against Jamaica, which gets underway on Sky Sports on Tuesday.
After finishing third in the Quad Series and missing out on a medal at the Fast5 tournament, Tracey Neville and her team will hope to bounce back in their three matches against the world's fourth-ranked nation.
Jamaica provide the opposition for matches to be played at Coventry's Ricoh Arena and Manchester's Belle Vue after starting at London's Copper Box Arena.
We turned to three former players, only recently retired from the game, to answer the key questions ahead of the series.
Pamela Cookey retired from the game this summer and is now director of netball at new Vitality Superleague franchise Severn Stars. Tamsin Greenway holds the same position with Wasps and Manchester Thunder head coach Karen Greig is a former assistant to Neville.
Karen Greig: They've got a real mixed squad, you look at the 12 they are bringing over and there is a lot of experience in there with Jhaniele Fowler-Reid and Paula Thompson coming back in. That will make a big difference to the squad they sent out to New Zealand earlier in the year, so they will be a different outfit and a different threat to us. They play a really aerial game and a really quick game - they get the ball through the court at speed and because they are so aerial they are very difficult to break down. Their athleticism and the capabilities they have got out on the court, coupled with the fact they are quite a physical team mean that they will leave everything on the court to try and get a result, England need to be aware of that physicality and their skills.
Tamsin Greenway: I think they're a big challenge with the players they've brought over. Bringing Jhaniele Fowler-Reid over is quite a big statement from them. Either having her or Romelda Aiken over is huge and having to play against those guys it's going to be interesting to see if we can manage the heights.
Pamela Cookey: Currently, England are ranked third and Jamaica are fourth. Historically, we've always gone back and forth but, over the past few years, we've consistently beaten Jamaica. Recently in New Zealand, we came out on top again. But they're a very strong team who, if they come out wanting to play, can take it to the England team. They've brought some players back into the squad that weren't in New Zealand.
Karen Greig: We all know that Tracey is building on a four-year cycle so she is looking to start blooding the players that are in the full-time programme. They have got some really exciting youngsters coming through the system like Beth Cobden and Amy Clinton who have both been named in the squad. I think Amy will be massive for England in years to come. This Test series will give those youngsters the opportunity and will be a real marker for where this squad is.
Tamsin Greenway: I don't think it is too early in the season. This is an opportunity for both teams to build up to the Commonwealth Games and it will absolutely fly by. I'm intrigued to see some of the new Jamaican players playing and those that are coming over to the Superleague. And for us, we've made a statement with the players we've got out there, seeing Jo Harten back and Serena Guthrie back. We've also got some of the younger players coming through like Eboni Beckford-Chambers to see if they can handle the pressure ahead of Australia in 2018.
Pamela Cookey: They'll want to keep their third ranking by winning all three games but also, there's a few young faces in the England squad that we haven't seen before. Tracey Neville will want to expose them to this kind of netball but, at the same time, she needs the win. It'll be interesting how it plays out.
Karen Greig: There were a lot of positives. We've only just started the full-time programme so it's a real opportunity now for us to start getting a pool of players that are capable of going out onto the international stage and showing us what they are capable of. Hopefully we will not just have seven, eight or nine players competing for those positions out on the court but now 12,13 or 14 players constantly fighting for positions. The results might have been disappointing but what Tracey will have got out of it will have been really pleasing for her.
Tamsin Greenway: I think they can take loads of positives. I think everybody spends the first couple of years in the lead up to the Commonwealth looking at their squads, looking at the players they've got. And although you're going out to win, the results are not always the end product. It's more about who's playing, who's competing when you're playing units together. And especially with our players because you're having to bring them in especially when they've been overseas for such a long time. Of course you want to come out of the series with a win, but it's more a case of who's making it and who you think of the players that are competing for you can actually make the step up to the next level.
Pamela Cookey: You have to take positives - there were some great passages of play, although they will be disappointed with the results. It's been a while since England have lost by that margin to those teams. But the positives are that they did play some amazing stuff - it's now about replicating that and getting more consistent. World netball has gone to a different stage and, if you're not playing at your best for 60 minutes, you'll lose.
Karen Greig: We have got the World Cup in 2019 so that is key to Tracey's plans along with the Commonwealth Games the year before that. The capabilities and potential of some of the youngsters she has got coming through the full-time programme is endless. If they are in the right training environment all year round and they are getting the right level of competition, there is no reason to say why we can't be challenging for that gold medal in 2019.
Tamsin Greenway: I hope a pretty big bulk will be part of the journey otherwise it will be pretty much a waste of time. You've got some real key players in there. You've got your Jade Clarkes that will go another cycle. She will be there at the Commonwealth Games and Worlds. You've also got your Jo Hartens, Serena Guthries, who are the staple ones in there. But you've got to bleed in some youth as well and you never know what's going to happen with injuries so I think it is important getting that mix right. Although you want to get out your seven most experienced, quality players out there. You hope the bulk of this squad will be the quad which takes you to the Commonwealth Games and Liverpool in 2019.
Pamela Cookey: You have to break the four-year cycle down because there are targets that must be hit - England play the Commonwealth Games before the World Cup. The likes of Jade Clarke, Jo Harten and Serena Guthrie are working towards the World Cup - the younger players are working hard to improve their standard to be part of that, as well.
You can watch England v Jamaica in the international series on Tuesday 29th November, Friday 2nd December and Sunday 4th December - live on Sky Sports.
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