England coach Tracey Neville eager for start of Australia Test series
Thursday 21 January 2016 08:22, UK
England head coach Tracey Neville sees the tri-series against world champions Australia as an opportunity to blood some of the country’s finest netball talent ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
England square off against the Commonwealth champions in three Tests over five days, beginning at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports 2.
"It's been a really positive few days in camp," Neville told Tuesday's Sportswomen show on Sky Sports News HQ.
"Obviously we have some young players in there who are feeling a few nerves and are not sure what to expect tomorrow, but I think everybody is now just ready to get started.
"We have to attack this series in different ways. We are at the start of a four-year cycle building into the World Cup in 2019 in Liverpool.
"So what we are looking for is our experienced players gelling with our inexperienced players and the key ones we are looking at [going forward] are Helen Housby, Natalie Haythornthwaite, Rachel Shaw, Laura Malcolm, and Jodie Gibson.
"They are the ones who are really making a stand domestically in the Netball Superleague. They've obviously enjoyed their netball over the last few years. Now it's time to go out there and experience playing the world No 1.
"Not only are they going to go on a bit of a roller coaster throughout this series, we expect that, but we really want them to enjoy it and come out of the Test series really positive and with things to build on."
Neville was in charge of Manchester Thunder prior to taking the England job, and her successor, Australian Dan Ryan, was last week appointed England U21 head coach.
"We're really pleased to have Dan Ryan back on board with England Netball," Neville added.
"His job really will be to take that U21 group on, not only to the World Youth Cup [in Botswana next summer], but also to prepare them for integration into the national team ahead of the Commonwealth Games and the Netball World Cup.
"Over the next two to three years his job will be really important in respect of getting those players to step up to that level."
You can see all three Tests between England and Australia live on Sky Sports.
