Live: Silver Ferns v Australia - second Constellation Cup test in ...

Constellation Cup test two: Silver Ferns v Australia; Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane; When: Sunday, 9.30pm (NZ time); Coverage: Live on Sky Sport 1, live blog on Stuff from 9pm.

The Silver Ferns will look to snap a five-game losing run against Australia in Sunday’s make or break second test of the Constellation Cup.

World champions Australia made an impressive start to the four-match series, leading from start to finish in Thursday's 50-40 win in the opener in Melbourne.

Lose to the Diamonds in Brisbane and the Ferns will face an almighty challenge to seize back the Constellation Cup. They would return to New Zealand in a 2-0 hole, needing to win the final two matches and to claw back goal differential to have any hope of capturing the trophy.

Here’s all you need to know for game two.

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Australia’s Courtney Bruce battles for the ball with New Zealand’s Amelia Walmsley in test one.

Silver Ferns (from):

Shooters: Amelia Walmsley, Ameliaranne Ekenasio (c), Maia Wilson, Tiana Metuarau, Grace Nweke.

Midcourt: Mila Reuelu-Buchanan, Maddy Gordon, Kate Heffernan, Whitney Souness.

Defenders: Phoenix Karaka, Kelly Jury, Jane Watson, Karin Burger, Kate Burley.

Australia (from):

Shooters: Cara Koenen, Kiera Austin, Sophie Garbin, Sophie Dwyer.

Midcourt: Liz Watson (c), Paige Hadley, Jamie-Lee Price, Kate Moloney.

Defenders: Jo Weston, Courtney Bruce, Sarah Klau, Sunday Aryang.

Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio tries to put up a shot under strong defensive pressure in Melbourne.

Test two: Sunday, 9.30pm (NZT) at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Test three: Thursday, 7.30pm: At Stadium Southland, Invercargill

Test four: Monday, October 23, 4pm: At Spark Arena, Auckland

Australia: $1.20

New Zealand: $4

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Australian captain Liz Watson takes selfies with fans after winning test one in Melbourne.

2022: 2-2 (Australia won on goal aggregate)

2021: New Zealand 3-1

2020: Not contested due to Covid-19 pandemic

2019: 2-2 (Australia won on goal aggregate)

2018: Australia 3-1

2017: Australia 4-0

Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Australian goal shoot Cara Koenen performed strongly in test one, converting 27 goals from 31 attempts.

October 12 in Melbourne: Australia 50, New Zealand 40

January 25 in Cape Town: Australia 56, New Zealand 50

January 22 in Cape Town: Australia 59, New Zealand 57

October 23, 2022, in Gold Coast: Australia 57, New Zealand 53

October 19, 2022, in Melbourne: Australia 62, New Zealand 47

October 16, 2022, in Tauranga: New Zealand 52, Australia 48

October 12, 2022, in Auckland: New Zealand 56, Australia 48

Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Silver Ferns wing attack Mila Reuelu-Buchanan takes in a pass as Australia’s Sunday Aryang defends.

- This will be the Silver Ferns and Diamonds’ sixth test in Brisbane. The Diamonds have won three and the Silver Ferns two.

- The Diamonds and Silver Ferns have played three previous tests at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, which the Diamonds lead 2-1. The Silver Ferns only win at BEC was in 2006 when they claimed a 52-40 victory.

- 2023 is the 13th Constellation Cup series after it was first contested in 2010. The Diamonds have won 10 of 12 previous series with the Ferns’ only triumphs a 2-1 win in 2012 and 3-1 in 2021.

Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Ferns goal shoot Amelia Walmsley faced torrid defensive pressure against the Diamonds in Melbourne.

Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua: “We’ve got some young players out there and you can talk all you like, but you’ve got to experience it. It wasn’t too bad [in test one], but once again we’ve got to get more ball, giving credit to the Australian Diamonds.

“Their ball speed, their ability to get to the circle edge and put the shot up was commendable and amazing.”

Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio: "Definitely not the result we wanted. We want to be heaps better and I think we have the capacity to be better as well. We've just got to continue to take it on.

"Some of our girls haven't played Aussie too much, so now they've got a first taste and know what's to come.”

Australian coach Stacey Marinkovich: “We haven’t conquered a four-quarter performance against a top-four nation, so there’s certainly room for improvement.”