Despite an underwhelming showing in her side's Northern Quad Series finale against South Africa, Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua insists her side is "moving in the right direction".
Twenty-four hours after a 54-43 victory over the same opposition, the Ferns faced a tougher test and came away with an unconvincing 51-50 win at London's Copper Box Arena.
The victory ensured New Zealand finished third at the tournament, ahead of the Proteas, after losses to both Australia and hosts England.
Fielding a fresh-faced side with several front-line players missing, coach Taurua insists the positives from the series outweigh the negatives.
In particular, inexperienced players have now faced the intensity of the international game and can harness that in the Ferns' next assignment - the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July.
Barely avoiding only a second-ever defeat to South Africa, Dame Noeline claims the performance shows her side is on the improve and the players can take those lessons back to the ANZ Premiership in March.
"Overall, I think that's our best performance so far," she says. "It always was ourselves against ourselves, but knowing as well how classy South Africa are and their type of game, which does create pressure.
"[I'm] really pleased overall. There was a shift that we've made and hopefully it needed confidence that we are heading in the right direction, but also knowing - as a team and individuals - what we need to work on.
"We'll go home, play in our domestic competition and toil away behind the scenes to be better."
