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Andrew Mehrtens left in the dark after being 'ghosted' by ABs coach
By Jon Newcombe
Former New Zealand fly-half Andrew Mehrtens has added his voice to the debate about the circumstances around Leon MacDonald’s abrupt departure from Scott Robertson’s coaching group.
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Five Tests into his four-year contract, MacDonald left his role as an assistant coach on the eve of the current tour to South Africa, due to apparently insurmountable differences.
Mehrtens played with both Robertson and MacDonald at the Crusaders and on this Tuesday’s episode of Boks Office, the 70-cap international reveals how he cheekily sent each of his former team-mates a text to get the gossip on what’s gone on.
“I messaged both of them, just to say sorry this has happened guys, I really care about you, I hope you’re okay, what happened – that sort of thing,” Mehrtens revealed.
“I got one (message) back and one hasn’t come back yet. Nothing untoward, I was trying to get a little bit of oil on it but I didn’t happen, unfortunately.”
For now, the All Blacks are making do with assistant coaches Scott Hansen and Tamati Ellison performing MacDonald’s role.
But when the time comes for a full-time replacement, Mehrtens doesn’t think Robertson will revert to a ‘yes man’ as one of his lieutenants for an easier life.
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“I think it is great that coaches like Razor (Robertson) and Rassie (Erasmus) these days are welcoming different voices and they want to be challenged,” he said.
“They don’t want to it be one-way traffic, they want to have other points of view but obviously it wasn’t working out.
“I thought it was pretty mature to just come out and say it’s not working and we’re done.”
Durban-born Mehrtens, who is now based in Paris, was back in South Africa last week to watch the eagerly-awaited clash between the world champion Springboks and the All Blacks.
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As well as taking the opportunity to catch up with his old rival, Joel Stransky, Mehrtens made time to join Boks Office host Hanyani Shimange and former Springboks Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger to discuss the burning issues in rugby.
Always engaging company, Mehrtens ran through a host of topics and the All Blacks’ 31-27 defeat was obviously top of the agenda.
Having won his first three games – the 2-0 series win over England and the one-off Test against Fiji in San Diego, Robertson has now lost two of his last three matches in charge.
The All Blacks were beaten 30-38 by Argentina in Wellington in the opening round of the 2024 Rugby Championship before destroying Los Pumas 42-10 in the return match at fortress Eden Park.
A second defeat to the Springboks after the loss in Johannesburg and a third defeat in four in Cape Town this Saturday would go down as well in New Zealand as Bongo Mbonambi’s controversial try last weekend.
However, Mehrtens has backed Robertson’s pedigree as a multiple Super Rugby and U20 Championship-winning coach to translate to the Test arena before too long.
“I think it’s taking him some time as you’d expect, I guess to get his message, his philosophy across to the group, and that’s natural with any change of coach,” reasoned the 51-year-old.
“I think we’ve seen already significant improvement. It’s hard to judge that second game against Argentina because I thought Argentina were pretty awful but the All Blacks certainly were good.
“But I thought the performance at Ellis Park was a big step up on that and I think they will continue to progress and to have the combinations and be aware of the style that he is looking for.
“It is taking time but I am really encouraged by the signs on Saturday.”
Hi guys. I totally understand the concept of SA rugby that has moved to NH and also the fact that the competition in super rugby with exclusion of SA is not the same. But let's look at the facts and what is going to be good for any rugby nation. SA has never been the favorite to be consistent winners in super rugby. Competively is has been a great run for SA teams. Now we have NH and the future for SA rugby looks great in comparison with what have been the benchmark when they played super rugby. The transformation in SA rugby has never been that great for a very long time. Just as NZ or Aus has thrived now its SA time. Yes we have come a long way with the rugby unions but what about the future of SA rugby. No country will revert back to the way the played in the past. Now there is a different plan that work for SA rugby. No one know for sure for how long SA will thrive but while SA have the coaches in their franchise teams and have a coach like Rassie and his coaching team. This can only be good for SA rugby. SA is setting the benchmark and the rest must find a salution and a way to get to that point. I am not saying the rest of the rugby nations are not trying or competing. All the teams SA face are being respected and no one can be arrogant about the style of rugby any team is playing. There will always be debates about rugby worldwide Think we should let their be a common ground for all to be able to have development and bring the best out of rugby worldwide. Just my two cents in the plate guys. No offence
TO - I believe the All Blacks had the best "gamesmanship" in the International arena.
More honestly; The All Blacks were the very best cheats in the business for over 100 years.
The early All Blacks were either farmers, labourers or soldiers. They were extremely fit.
Their work environment was tough and if you weren't you didn't succeed.
I grew up on the exploits of Kevin Skinner and the 1956 Springbok Tour of New Zealand. He was 28 and been retired for two years. Kevin Skinner first played prop for the All Blacks at 19, after he had won the N.Z Heavy Weight Boxing Title.
Here is what you can Google - "Kevin Skinner: All Black celebrated for Hard Man display against South Africa in 1956, which entered sporting mythology"
I year before I was born. My grandparents were farmers from Middlemarch, Otago. When the depression hit they moved to Dunedin Dah told me, Racing Stories and Rugby Stories, especially the Legend, Kevin Skinner.
The 1971 British Lions team was the Best Test Team I have ever seen. Coming from a "very Republican Irish family" that is a compliment.
I watched Canterbury "absolutely Bash those 1971 Lions" at Lancaster Park. It was the most brutal game of Rugby I have ever seen. Broken jaws, broken noses, cuts, black eyes, split lips, etc etc etc. Two Lions props smashed. Mclauglin and Carmichael?One went home.?
The Battle of Lancaster Park will go down as the "The most Brutal Rugby Game the British Lions have ever played. After being kicked, punched, stomped, king hit, gouged, they still managed to win 14-9.
I nearly felt sorry for them at the time. Then I remembered I'm a Cantabrian and kept cheering the Red and Blacks.
Over my lifetime, I have met lots of All Blacks.
I have met two who were the most impressive. Michael Jones and Ritchie McCaw.
Michael Jones was the most "Humble person I ever met" and one of the most devestating tacklers, I have ever seen.
The best and most impressive Coach. Wayne Smith.
I met one of Mc Caw's Lecturers when he was at Lincoln. Even then he studied referees and their pet hates.
How smart is that? I believe he is the greatest ever All Black and our greatest ever All Black Captain. I don't think I ever saw him fire a shot in anger?
Some referees say, "He was possibly our greatest, ever All Black but he pushed the boundaries"
I say he is our "Greatest Ever All Black, Number 7 and Captain as he pushed the boundaries of every law and he was a lot "Smarter than any referee he encountered and that really pissed them off"
He gave 130% of his ability and just knew where to be at any time in a game. He never had that "Loose Part" that a lot of All Blacks have suffered from and he was the perfect Ambassador for New Zealand.
He was also "Dux" of one of our most finest High Schools, Otago Boys High.
His Grandfather Jim McCaw a Tempest Pilot in WW2 Shot down 20 V2 Nazi Rockets.
How many lives did he save? WOW ! Lest we forget!
Genetically and Naturally brave. First Rugby Player to play 100 Tests and First Rugby Player to win a 100 tests.
The world's best Rugby Player at "Knowing the rules of Rugby in real time" Maybe the A.B.'s should fly him to S.A. for "Some Advice" before Cape Town"
Ritchie Hugh Mc CAW was penalised 26 times in his entire All Black and Crusader Career.
He played 147 Tests and 145 games for the Crusaders.
I hope this answers your question TO
So the publisher is just assuming it was Razor that didn't reply because the reply that Mehterns did get said there was nothing it it?
For Merths to believe the events in the reply he did get he must have received it from Leon? Or has he said somewhere else?
'I really care about you'-->instant ghost
What I think which I guess is not much is no matter where they are mentally or politically they always are a threat on the pitch. We beat the ABs this past weekend but tbh I wasn't convinced even counting down the seconds to the final whistle. The ABs are a top quality team no matter what. So to beat them is always amazing. Glad it wasn't a push over. That would have spoken too much to us about "Are NZR ready under Razor?" And they would then beat us convincingly as they did the Pumas. So we just win, from a comeback. That way we are more attuned to our reality and have stuff to work on. Hopefully we can do it again this weekend.
The All Blacks aren't yet a team that can impose their will whenever they want yet RW. I had no belief that they could string together a concerted effort that would get on top of SA at the end there. And a fair bit of faith that SA werent going to gift them the opportunity.
Yeah the way it played out I think was an accurate representation of were both teams are at. Hopefully the ABs also improve this week to keep it as close!
Why would anyone talk to Mehrtens?
Why not, he's far more interesting and articulate than Scott B, Robertson or any other Crusader!
The "unfit for purpose " NZRFU have no idea what players require in the Professional Era.
The problem is simple. The NZRFU want to hang on to their "Power"
They see the Players Association as a threat, which means they see players as a threat.
It won't be long before former All Blacks and their backers, who have business interests in other sports turn their attention to the professional game in New Zealand.
This is the greatest fear of the NZRFU. The are not worried about the development of the game, as much as their own "cosy jobs for the boys" attitude, which has permeated the NZRFU for generations.
After 25 years of the professional era, they are broke and selling the family silver to try and make ends meet. A direct result of their questionable business practises and overall incompetency.
They have been unable to adapt to the professional era.
Players associations around the world need to unite and realise that "World Rugby" has no place in the professional game.
Without professional players, World Rugby has no power.
For example, get Japan involved. Develop a competition where the best players compete in the Southern Hemisphere.
Super Rugby without South Africa has been a dismal failure. No South African advertising revenue soon took its toll.
Imagine an Under 20 Professional Competition. Signed contracts that commit them to the higher competition. A guaranteed pathway if they are good enough.
Amateur and Professional doesn't work as a functioning business model as demonstrated by the "incompetent "not fit for purpose" NZRFU.
They have to go!
Can you give us a TLDR version at the end (or even better, the begging so I don't need to click more BJ?
This comment of yours is a total load of BS.
Does SAFU, ARU, RA, FRU, etc not run the game in their countries? Of course the NZR bosses have the power. That is their whole role after all. There whole reason for existing. There whole purpose.
We missed an incredible opportunity earlier this year to dismantle the old boys agenda and unsurprisingly, the PUs chose to look after themselves and for status quo rather than progress and positive change.
Agree re Japan (and longer term, North America) and we need to have a grown up conversation about how many teams and players NZR can realistically pay based on our revenue.
I have also heard rumours that there was an indiscretion that lead to Leons departure rather than just a "coaching philosophy difference" which could explain why NZR has to now pay him out.