Stacey Marinkovich has laughed off talk the Diamonds are under more pressure to win the Constellation Cup after the Silver Ferns turned the blowtorch on Australia.
Beginning the four-game series in Auckland, the two netball powerhouses will return to the court on Sunday for the first time since the Commonwealth Games in August.
While New Zealand won their first gold medal since the 2010 Games, the top-ranked Diamonds suffered a shock semi-final loss to Jamaica and settled for bronze - Australia's worst-ever Games result.
Should they fail to defend the Constellation Cup this year, the Diamonds could relinquish their long-standing hold on the world No.1 ranking.
And with Australia set to host next year's World Cup in Sydney, New Zealand coach Noeline Taurua claimed the spotlight was on the Diamonds in the lead up to Sunday's opening Constellation Cup clash at Spark Arena.
The ever-pragmatic Marinkovich easily dismissed such talk.
"Ah, it's a bit of deflection," Marinkovich laughed.
"No, every time you step out there ... when you're at the top, you've got to keep backing that up.
"And then obviously when you lose, it's about how do you bounce back.
"Pressure is what you create and how it's perceived.
"For us, we've always had an expectation of the standard we want to play, so there is no difference in feeling around that."
Marinkovich is backing defender Sarah Klau to impress on the court after being sanctioned by Netball Australia in September.
The 31-year-old was handed a $5000 fine and a two-game ban - suspended for 12 months - for failing to disclose a common assault charge before the Commonwealth Games to the sport's national governing body.
"It was a moment in time and she took responsibility for that," Marinkovich said.
"That's what we acknowledge as a team, facing that moment.
"She's gone through that journey, and we're certainly there to support her.
"The way in which she's been training, you would never know that there's been any difference."
Marinkovich will need all cylinders firing in New Zealand, given the Diamonds haven't won across the Tasman in regular time since 2021.
Australia have only won three of their past 16 matches on Kiwi soil.
The Diamonds have added motivation for Sunday's clash, with defender Courtney Bruce becoming the seventh Australian netballer to reach the 100-game milestone.
It'll be up to Bruce and Klau to lead Australia's defence after star Jo Weston withdrew from the series to manage her fitness.
"I've coached Courtney since she was about 14 years old," Marinkovich said.
"She's ridden the highs and lows of the sport ... 100 games, we don't have many of them.
"It's something that we really want to make sure we celebrate with her."
