Watch the third and fourth match-days live on Sky Sports on January 25 and 26, plus you can catch the action via our streams on the Sky Sports YouTube channel
Monday 27 January 2020 08:37, UK
At the halfway point of the Vitality Nations Cup, Tamsin Greenway casts her eye over all four nations and shares what's impressed her and what's disappointed her after the first four matches.
Let's start with a question… can anybody beat the world champions New Zealand?
They've been really impressive so far in this competition and you have to say, they look a cut above everybody else.
Now I know they have some experience within their squad, but they have left probably their four best players from the World Cup at home. From the start, it's been business as usual for the Silver Ferns and they've just carried on where they left off.
One of the big questions we had before the competition was about their shooting circle. We all wanted to see what Noeline Taurua's answers were going to be post-Maria Folau.
After two games, and seeing all of their shooters in action, I am absolutely loving the work of Maia Wilson. I think that she has excelled and has stolen the show for the Kiwis. Her footwork, strength and availability in every game so far has been spot on.
Taurua has clearly come to this competition with a plan and an aim to get her whole squad out on court. In doing that she can understand combinations, find out how individuals operate as starters and impacts, and discover who she can take forward into the new cycle.
In the first game, against England, Taurua changed her shooting circle after every quarter and that in itself was brave and incredible because to come on and off can be seen as huge pressure for shooters, as they usually like time to settle.
The head coach had the confidence to expose all of her shooters against top opposition and they rewarded her with their performances. Did I mention that they're all shooting from distance as well?!
What stands out for me is how the Silver Ferns' squad are completely on the same page. All of their structures, things which can take players years to develop, are on point and that's full credit to Noeline. The fact that the players on the bench have bought in too, really says something about their culture.
So if you want to beat them, I believe the focus area is on their defensive end as it is still a work in progress. With Casey Kopua, Katrina Rore and Laura Langman missing, the new unit and style is exposed at times. So far, teams haven't been able to consistently punish them though.
After the Sunshine Girls' impressive win over South Africa I felt that they were back, and in certain ways they are. The Jamaica of old, who will fight you for every ball took to court and after their World Cup woes and the turbulence that followed after it was great to see.
Defensively they have clicked. I've enjoyed Shamera Sterling's work out at GD, even if I did raise my eyes in surprise when I saw her starting there and not GK!
She did a great job and I really liked the units she's played in. The future is bright with the likes of Shadian Hemmings and I think that Nicole Dixon has made that Centre bib her own.
However, Jamaica's attack-end which continues to worry me. It was an area I picked out before the competition, and they haven't shown much to reassure me.
In particular it's the GA and WA combination that's struggling, it cost them at the World Cup and it's a work in progress in this competition.
Now, I'm not saying that Shanice Beckford and Khadijah Williams can't do the job there, given the right direction. But, right now they haven't got the structure or creativity to open up the end third. They're still way too reliant on the long ball to Jhaniele Fowler and on the work of Dixon.
These ongoing issues are why I think they will lose to England on Saturday and why, at the moment, they are not going to challenge the top three sides in the world. At that level, you cannot be that naïve and expect to win. The game has changed.
However this competition will be good for them, they will learn and take away a lot, because Connie Francis knows what she's doing.
The players are happy under her, which is the first step, and she has already got them playing defensively with structure and they're bringing back a Jamaican style. However, when they go home the focus must be to fix up the attack-end.
For the remaining two games I'd like to see them try out Shimona Nelson in at GS. She could be the answer to mixing things up.
There are very few teams in the world who can rely on a shooter who remains in the circle. At some point, to release the pressure out front, the shooter has to come out and provide options.
Fowler isn't that type of GS, so it would make sense for Jamaica to give themselves another game plan and it would give the opposition something different to think about
When it comes to South Africa, I've been really disappointed with their campaign so far. They've been predictable and dare I say it, a little boring.
Even Karla Pretorius was quiet in their first game and although she stepped it up against England, their issues lie in their attack-end.
They need to sort out how they open their attack-end and they need to practice just letting the ball go. Right now, they're way too conservative and without some creativity and flair they will always struggle to beat the top teams.
My worry is that looking through their group I have no idea who is going to provide them with that? It's frustrating as this team has so much potential.
Perhaps a bigger issue though is that the SPAR Proteas just don't seem to know how to bury a team and really finish a side off. Every time they get close to a top side they falter.
They are so close to the next step. The players have the desire and the passion, they're strong enough and they're fit enough but they need to fix these elements to keep on developing.
Finally, let's look at the home side, England. I think it's fair to say that we were all a bit disappointed after their loss to New Zealand, it's been a while since the Roses were beaten by 16 goals.
I know that the scoreline was close for periods of the game, but the reality is that the game blew out and England didn't have the answers.
However I'm really hoping the Roses get to face New Zealand again on Sunday because another chance to feel what it's like against them would be really useful for the team's growth.
That's why getting the youngsters exposed to Test netball is also so important, just look at how Amy Carter responded to her opportunity against South Africa.
As England prepare to face Jamaica on Saturday a big factor in them getting the win will be having an edge in defence.
Against South Africa, Laura Malcolm, Jade Clarke and Carter all made it incredibly difficult for the SPAR Proteas to come through the court. That's exactly the tactic they'll need against Jamaica in order to limit and hinder balls into Fowler.
While you know that some ball will always get through, I have complete faith that Stacey Francis, who has been a standout in this competition, will still get England enough ball. Francis has already said that she's happy playing against Fowler. She knows what's coming and is ready for it.
In the attack, the Roses need to discover an answer at GA. Eleanor Cardwell and Natalie Haythornthwaite taking half a game is a good option right now, as they are both offer the team (and unit) something different.
But, as we move forward I'd like to see Sophie Drakeford-Lewis in the mix too, even if she's just on the bench. She has to be a contender for the next cycle and the earlier she gets opportunities to learn, the better she will be.
As we move into this weekend, the game against South Africa, after a heavy loss, was a turning point for the Roses.
Jess Thirlby made some great choices when it came to combinations, selections and tactics. I'd like to see the same happening against Jamaica - play with enough experience to win the game, but make sure that the youngsters are out there providing the excitement in order to build for the future.
Sky Sports is your home of netball - every moment of the Vitality Nations Cup is being shown on air and streamed on YouTube. The third match-day is on January 25, with New Zealand versus South Africa and England against Jamaica.
