I can’t give guarantees: Netball Proteas coach Plummer on home World Cup

Netball Proteas coach Norma Plummer has full confidence in the squad she has selected, but can’t guarantee they will finish on the podium at the World Cup. 

South Africa came fourth in the last tournament in England, but Plummer said she cannot commit to a place in the top three on home soil.

Speaking from Melbourne, Australia, on South Africa's preparations for the tournament in Cape Town from July 28 to August 6, Plummer said she is happy with the players.

“I am a realist first and foremost. We would like to make the podium and we will certainly go all out to do so, but I can’t give you any guarantees. I don’t think any coach could,” she said. 

“I don’t think Rassie [Erasmus, SA Rugby director of coaching] can say that either [about the Springboks in this year's Rugby World Cup], but we will put our best foot forward. We certainly want to stand up for the country and I will give the players every bit of knowledge I have. 

“And I have a lot of knowledge. I have been in this game for a long time, with five gold medals, and I think I can lift the team, but the players on court have to do their job. 

“I love a challenge and we will put in that challenge against every team we play.” 

Plummer said all positions are covered in the squad that will be led by Bongiwe Msomi. 

“I am really excited with this group we have. It is a totally different ball game. With NSA you have the Telkom Netball League (TNL), but you don’t have the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition in Australia, which is the NBA of netball, and the standard is higher.

“I have found the girls here in South Africa commit so much and they take everything we give them, and we have a good blend in the team.

“We can interchange, we have good shooters and good workers in the attack, we have players at centre court who we can easily change and double positions. That’s always important.

“We don’t have a player who is always in one position. We can interchange if we have an injury or anything like that and still not lose momentum. 

“We go down to the backline and it is the same thing with a couple of really tall and strong goalkeepers and movers out of the front of the goal defence. We have wing defence that is absolutely on fire at the moment. 

“We look at all those things and we have put the plan together to make sure we can interchange the team if required. Also, when someone is not having a good day on court, you don’t sit back and just let them play. 

“Your responsibility as a coach is to make sure you are working hard for the win. It is always terrific to have alternative players on the bench who you can interchange and not lose momentum.

“I am happy with where we sit with those players at the moment.”