New Zealand rugby has had few players who has won such wide popularity and affection as Andrew Mehrtens, who in a 12-year career at first class level became a national figure rather than simply an icon of his beloved Canterbury province.

However, there was never total agreement on his ranking in the pecking order of All Black first five eighths. Some headed by Colin Meads believed that Mehrtens was the best in his position ever produced by New Zealand.

Others believed that despite his immense skills, vision, kicking and ability to throw long cut out passes to his outsides he had limitations, especially in the way rugby developed in the professional era.

He was seen as lacking quite the physique or the inclination to mix it physically, either taking the ball up or committing himself to the tackle. There were also others who preferred the flair of his charismatic Auckland rival Carlos Spencer.

But there was never much doubt that Mehrtens belonged among the elite of New Zealand first fives. He had much of the steadiness and almost the same kicking ability as the man who preceded him by a year or two in the All Blacks, Grant Fox, but with a little more dash to his attacking play.

Off-field Mehrtens proved to be a favourite with fans and a large section of the media because of his pleasant manner, his intelligence which all but brought him a university degree and his wit and sense of humour.

Though born in Durban, South Africa, when his Kiwis parents were in that part of the world on a working holiday, Mehrtens came from a long established North Canterbury family.

His grandfather, George, played for Canterbury in the 1920s as a fullback and was an All Black in unofficial internationals against New South Wales in 1928. His father, Terry, also a first five, represented Canterbury between 1964 and 1976, was a New Zealand under 23 player in 1965 against the Springboks and again in 1967 and while in South Africa played as a fullback for Natal against the 1970 All Blacks.

Despite his family background Mehrtens only emerged as a rare prospect in his late teens, perhaps because he was a slower developer physically.

In his teens Mehrtens showed almost as much promise in tennis where in various age groups he was nationally ranked.

His first significant rugby selection was in 1992 when he played in the national under 19s against Australia in a side which also included later Crusaders or the All Black team mates Adrian Cashmore, Norman Berryman, Milton Going, Tabai Matson, Justin Marshall and Taine Randell.

He was first chosen for Canterbury in 1993-94 and in each of those seasons he was in the New Zealand Colts, making his first major impact nationally in the Canterbury side which in 1994 took the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato.

His performance that day and in defences later that season against Counties and Otago marked him as a clear All Black prospect and the answer to the first five problem which had not been quite solved since Fox’s retirement in 1993.

Though left out of the initial training squads, Merhtens developed so much that he forced his way into the 1995 World Cup squad, having made a stunning All Black debut in the early season test against Canada when he scored 28 points.

In the World Cup tournament he was a success, one of three youngsters with Jonah Lomu and Josh Kronfeld who gave the All Blacks a dimension which had been lacking for much of the 1994 season. The only quibble about Merthens at the World Cup was missing a dropped goal attempt in the extra time of the final.

Over the next six or seven seasons Mehrtens was pretty much an automatic selection for All Black squad, though he was not always assured of the number one test spot. A knee injury curtailed his 1995 tour of France and in the next few seasons injury and competitition from the likes of the equally gifted Spencer saw him miss a number of tests.

But he reasserted himself during the 1999 season, both in kicking a record nine penalties in a transtasman test against Australia at Eden Park and then at the World Cup. However, an injury in the quarterfinal against Scotland clearly affected him in the latter rounds.

Besides his importance to the All Blacks Mehrtens from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s fashioned an outstanding record for the Crusaders at Super 12 level. He had key roles in their “three-peat” title wins in 1998-2000, either through his tactical command of games or, as in the 2000 final against the Brumbies, with a penalty goal under severe pressure. He also played in the Crusaders sides which won the Super 12 titles of 2002 and 2005, even though in the final season he was now playing second fiddle to another emerging star in Daniel Carter.

Mehrtens was also a huge contributor to Canterbury at NPC levels, with his inside back partnership with Marshall becoming celebrated. As well as 1994 against Waikato he played in shield winning sides in 2000 (against Waikato again) and in 2004 against Bay of Plenty. He played in three NPC winning sides in 1997, 2001 and 2004.

Over the latter stages, especially in 2003, Mehrtens was beset by personal problems which in turn affected his fitness and form. He battled to make the Crusaders then and in 2004 and was left out of the All Blacks for the 2003 season, though many believed he should have been recalled for the World Cup.

He eventually did win his All Black place back for a brief period in 2004, but by then it had become clear that the immediate future belonged to his protege, Carter. At the end of the 2005 Super 12, where despite understudying Carter he made frequent appearances, Mehrtens left New Zealand rugby to play for the Harlequins in Britain.

He left behind a formidable record: 281 first class games for 3178 points, 108 games for Canterbury for 1056 points, 87 for the Crusaders and 981 points, 72 games for the All Blacks and 967 points in 70 tests.

His test aggregate is still a record for a New Zealander but would have been greater, and well into four figures, had he not missed many of the softer tests played during his time in the All Blacks. His understudies,Simon Culhane, Spencer and Tony Brown, all scored heavily in his absence from these matches.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Andrew Philip Mehrtens

BORN

Saturday, 28 April 1973 in Durban

AGE

37

PHYSICAL

1.78m, 89kg

POSITION

First five-eighth

LAST SCHOOL

Christchurch Boys' High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Christchurch HSOB

PROVINCE

Canterbury

SUPER 14 TEAM

Crusaders

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 22 April 1995
v Canada at Auckland
aged 21 years, 359 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 22 April 1995
v Canada at Auckland
aged 21 years, 359 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 14 August 2004
v South Africa at Johannesburg
aged 31 years, 108 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

70 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

2 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

72 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

967pts (7t, 169c, 188p, 10dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

27pts (0t, 3c, 7p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

994pts (7t, 172c, 195p, 10dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

944

The All Black Games that Mehrtens played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1995

 22 Apr vs Canada at Auckland 73-7  

 27 May vs Ireland at Johannesburg 43-19  

 31 May vs Wales at Johannesburg 34-9  

 11 Jun vs Scotland at Pretoria 48-30  

 18 Jun vs England at Cape Town 45-29  

 24 Jun vs South Africa at Johannesburg 12-15  

 22 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 28-16  

 29 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 34-23  

 25 Oct vs Italy 'A' at Catania 51-21 (-) 

1996

 7 Jun vs Samoa at Napier 51-10  

 15 Jun vs Scotland at Dunedin 62-31  

 22 Jun vs Scotland at Auckland 36-12  

 6 Jul vs Australia at Wellington 43-6  

 20 Jul vs South Africa at Christchurch 15-11  

 27 Jul vs Australia at Brisbane 32-25  

 10 Aug vs South Africa at Cape Town 29-18  

 31 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 22-32  

1997

 14 Jun vs Fiji at Albany 71-5 (-) 

 9 Aug vs South Africa at Auckland 55-35 (+) 

 8 Nov vs Llanelli at Llanelli 81-3 (-) 

 15 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 63-15 (-) 

 22 Nov vs England at Manchester 25-8  

 29 Nov vs Wales at London 42-7  

 6 Dec vs England at London 26-26  

1998

 20 Jun vs England at Dunedin 64-22  

 27 Jun vs England at Auckland 40-10  

 11 Jul vs Australia at Melbourne 16-24 (-) 

 25 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 3-13 (+) 

 1 Aug vs Australia at Christchurch 23-27  

 15 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 23-24  

 29 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 14-19 (-) 

1999

 26 Jun vs France at Wellington 54-7 (-) 

 10 Jul vs South Africa at Dunedin 28-0 (-) 

 24 Jul vs Australia at Auckland 34-15 (-) 

 7 Aug vs South Africa at Pretoria 34-18  

 28 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 7-28 (-) 

 3 Oct vs Tonga at Bristol 45-9  

 9 Oct vs England at London 30-16 (-) 

 24 Oct vs Scotland at Edinburgh 30-18 (-) 

 31 Oct vs France at London 31-43  

 4 Nov vs South Africa at Cardiff 18-22  

2000

 24 Jun vs Scotland at Dunedin 69-20  

 1 Jul vs Scotland at Auckland 48-14 (-) 

 15 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 39-35 (-) 

 22 Jul vs South Africa at Christchurch 25-12 (-) 

 5 Aug vs Australia at Wellington 23-24 (-) 

 19 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 40-46  

 11 Nov vs France at Paris 39-26  

 18 Nov vs France at Marseille 33-42  

 25 Nov vs Italy at Genova 56-19 (+) 

2001

 23 Jun vs Argentina at Christchurch 67-19 (-) 

 11 Aug vs Australia at Dunedin 15-23 (+) 

 25 Aug vs South Africa at Auckland 26-15  

 1 Sep vs Australia at Sydney 26-29  

 17 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 40-29  

 24 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 37-6  

 1 Dec vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 24-20  

2002

 8 Jun vs Italy at Hamilton 64-10  

 15 Jun vs Ireland at Dunedin 15-6  

 22 Jun vs Ireland at Auckland 40-8  

 29 Jun vs Fiji at Wellington 68-18 (+)(-) 

 13 Jul vs Australia at Christchurch 12-6  

 20 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 41-20  

 3 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 14-16 (-) 

 10 Aug vs South Africa at Durban 30-23  

 9 Nov vs England at London 28-31 (+) 

 16 Nov vs France at Paris 20-20  

 23 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 43-17  

2004

 19 Jun vs England at Auckland 36-12 (+) 

 26 Jun vs Argentina at Hamilton 41-7  

 7 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 18-23 (+) 

 14 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 26-40  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Canada, 22 Apr 1995

1

7

3

-

28

vs Ireland, 27 May 1995

-

3

4

-

18

vs Wales, 31 May 1995

-

2

4

1

19

vs Scotland, 11 Jun 1995

1

6

2

-

23

vs England, 18 Jun 1995

-

3

1

1

12

vs South Africa, 24 Jun 1995

-

-

3

1

12

vs Australia, 22 Jul 1995

-

1

5

2

23

vs Australia, 29 Jul 1995

1

3

1

-

14

vs Italy 'A', 25 Oct 1995

-

1

5

-

17

vs Samoa, 7 Jun 1996

-

5

1

1

16

vs Scotland, 15 Jun 1996

1

7

1

-

22

vs Scotland, 22 Jun 1996

-

4

1

-

11

vs Australia, 6 Jul 1996

-

2

3

-

13

vs South Africa, 20 Jul 1996

-

-

5

-

15

vs Australia, 27 Jul 1996

-

2

6

-

22

vs South Africa, 10 Aug 1996

-

2

5

-

19

vs South Africa, 31 Aug 1996

-

2

1

-

7

vs Fiji, 14 Jun 1997

-

6

-

-

12

vs Llanelli, 8 Nov 1997

-

2

2

-

10

vs Ireland, 15 Nov 1997

1

5

6

-

33

vs England, 22 Nov 1997

-

2

2

-

10

vs Wales, 29 Nov 1997

-

4

2

-

14

vs England, 6 Dec 1997

1

2

4

-

21

vs England, 20 Jun 1998

-

5

3

-

19

vs England, 27 Jun 1998

-

2

-

-

4

vs Australia, 11 Jul 1998

-

-

1

-

3

vs South Africa, 25 Jul 1998

-

-

1

-

3

vs Australia, 1 Aug 1998

-

2

3

-

13

vs South Africa, 15 Aug 1998

-

2

3

-

13

vs Australia, 29 Aug 1998

-

-

2

1

9

vs France, 26 Jun 1999

-

5

3

-

19

vs South Africa, 10 Jul 1999

-

1

3

-

11

vs Australia, 24 Jul 1999

-

1

9

-

29

vs South Africa, 7 Aug 1999

-

-

7

-

21

vs Australia, 28 Aug 1999

1

1

-

-

7

vs Tonga, 3 Oct 1999

-

4

4

-

20

vs England, 9 Oct 1999

-

3

3

-

15

vs Scotland, 24 Oct 1999

-

2

2

-

10

vs France, 31 Oct 1999

-

2

4

-

16

vs South Africa, 4 Nov 1999

-

-

6

-

18

vs Scotland, 24 Jun 2000

-

7

-

-

14

vs Scotland, 1 Jul 2000

-

3

-

-

6

vs Australia, 15 Jul 2000

-

4

2

-

14

vs South Africa, 22 Jul 2000

-

-

3

1

12

vs Australia, 5 Aug 2000

-

2

3

-

13

vs South Africa, 19 Aug 2000

-

4

3

1

20

vs France, 11 Nov 2000

-

1

9

-

29

vs France, 18 Nov 2000

-

3

4

-

18

vs Argentina, 23 Jun 2001

-

3

1

-

9

vs Australia, 11 Aug 2001

-

1

-

-

2

vs South Africa, 25 Aug 2001

-

2

4

-

16

vs Australia, 1 Sep 2001

-

2

4

-

16

vs Ireland, 17 Nov 2001

-

5

-

-

10

vs Scotland, 24 Nov 2001

-

2

6

-

22

vs Argentina, 1 Dec 2001

-

1

4

-

14

vs Italy, 8 Jun 2002

-

8

1

-

19

vs Ireland, 15 Jun 2002

-

1

1

-

5

vs Ireland, 22 Jun 2002

-

3

3

-

15

vs Australia, 13 Jul 2002

-

-

4

-

12

vs South Africa, 20 Jul 2002

-

2

3

1

16

vs Australia, 3 Aug 2002

-

-

3

-

9

vs South Africa, 10 Aug 2002

-

2

2

-

10

vs England, 9 Nov 2002

-

2

-

-

4

vs France, 16 Nov 2002

-

2

2

-

10

vs Wales, 23 Nov 2002

-

4

5

-

23

vs Argentina, 26 Jun 2004

-

5

2

-

16

vs Australia, 7 Aug 2004

-

-

1

-

3

vs South Africa, 14 Aug 2004

-

2

4

-

16

Totals

7

172

195

10

994

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Argentina

3

3

-

-

-

9

7

-

39

Australia

16

7

-

9

2

21

47

3

202

Canada

1

1

-

-

1

7

3

-

28

England

8

6

1

1

1

19

13

1

85

Fiji

2

2

-

-

-

6

-

-

12

France

5

2

1

2

-

13

22

-

92

Ireland

5

5

-

-

1

17

14

-

81

Italy

2

2

-

-

-

8

1

-

19

Samoa

1

1

-

-

-

5

1

1

16

Scotland

7

7

-

-

2

31

12

-

108

South Africa

16

9

-

7

-

19

53

4

209

Tonga

1

1

-

-

-

4

4

-

20

Wales

3

3

-

-

-

10

11

1

56

Totals

70

49

2

19

7

169

188

10

967