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Profile: Andrew Mehrtens
By Prof
September 28 2005
Andrew Mehrtens is the highest profile signing for the start of the 2005/6 season. He is one of the greatest fly-halfs the game of rugby union has ever seen. He should act as a great mentor to Adrian Jarvis and should help to remedy the half-back problem that Quins had last season.

Name: Andrew Philip Mehrtens Mehrtens kicking
Nickname: Mehrts
Date of birth: Saturday, 28 April 1973
Place of birth: Durban, South Africa
Nationality: New Zealander
Education: Christchurch Boys' High School
Height: 5'10" (1.78m)
Weight:

89kg
Position: Fly-half
International Honours: New Zealand (70 Caps, 72 Matches), Colts, U19
International Debut:

v Canada at Auckland, 22 April 1995, aged 21 years, 359 days
Last Test: v South Africa at Johannesburg, 14 August 2004, aged 31 years, 108 days
All Black Number: 944
Test Points: 967pts (7t, 169c, 188p, 10dg)
Total International Points: 994pts (7t, 172c, 195p, 10dg)
Previous Clubs: Canterbury, Crusaders, Christchurch HSOB
S12 Points: 972
Canterbury Points: 1056
Contract: 2 Years (2005/6, 2006/7)

Mehrtens joined Quins with a host of records behind him:

Test Records:

  • All Blacks' all-time point-scoring record, with 967, and is the third-highest points scorer ever
  • He was fastest player in the world to reach 100; 200; 600; 700; 800 and 900 points in Test matches
  • His 167 conversions are the most by any player in test rugby
  • His 209 points v South Africa is the most by any player against any country
  • His 202 points v Australia are the second most by any player against any country
  • His 108 points against Scotland is the most by any player
  • Has scored 20 or more points in a Test match on 13 occasions
  • Has twice kicked nine penalty goals in a Test match
  • The 28 points he scored against Canada were at that time the most points by any player anywhere on international debut
  • No player has scored more points in a Test match against Ireland than his 33
  • Passed John Kirwan's record for number of test matches (63) by an All Black back with his apperance against England in 2002
  • New Zealand Player of the Year in 1999
  • The only player with in excess of 300 Tri-Nations points

S12 Records:

  • Is the greatest point-scorer in Super 12 history with 972
  • Season point record for the Super 12, with 206 in 1998
  • Record for conversions in a S12 match, with 13 against the Waratahs in 2002
  • Most penalties in a S12 season - 43 in 1999
  • Most dropped goals in a S12 game - 3 v the Highlanders in 1998
  • A key member of the Crusaders side that won the Super 12s four times in five years (1998 to 2000, 2002),
  • He leaves Canterbury as NPC champions, Ranfurly Shield holders and Super 12 champions

He has a good rugby pedigree with his grandfather George playing for Canterbury and a New Zealand XV (although he was never an All Black) in the 1920s and '30s. George's son and Andrew's father Terry Mehrtens also played for Canterbury, Junior New Zealand in 1965 and 1967. He also played 16 times for Natal in 1970-1 before returning to play for Canterbury in the mid-'70s.

He has been described as the most influential player of the professional era renowned for his kicking and a great back line general.

When his move to Quins was announced Graham Henry described him thus: "Andrew has been a world-class player and was probably the best No 10 in the world in the late 1990s, over the last decade he has been one of our foremost All Blacks and a great character."

Team mate Aaron Mauger said "He's been probably one of the greatest players New Zealand's ever had I suppose and he's contributed a lot to All Black rugby and to Canterbury rugby and he's been a good mate to all of us so certainly sad to see him go, Mehrts being the person that he is and what he'd achieved is always going to be something special and something to aspire to for any young fella."

Canterbury Coach Aussie McLean said "Like the great Michael Jordan, if Mehrts was in your team you had a pretty good chance of winning it. For as many as six years he has been critical to the winning and losing of games. Off the field he is also a fantastic talisman for Canterbury rugby."

Mark Evans said, “I am delighted that such an experienced international has decided to join NEC Harlequins. Andrew is a world class performer, whose record at the highest level speaks for itself. Apart from his undoubted quality as a player, I have also been impressed with his attitude in our negotiations, particularly after our disappointing end to last season. He constantly reaffirmed that he wanted to play for NEC Harlequins, and that he wants to assist in building one of the most successful teams in Europe.”

With Daniel Carter being preferred over Mehrts recently it spelled the end of his illustrious international career and rumours of a move to Europe started to spread. Harlequins certainly needed a replacement for Paul Burke and Mehrtens looked to be an excellent choice, but few people outside of Quins believed that Mehrtens would still move to The Stoop when relegation hit. But he stuck by his word, as he explained in the pre-season press conference "I had no qualms about it [moving to Quins] at all, I made my decision based on the club, based on Harlequins, it wasn’t a decision I made based on a competition."

Not only has he said that he never thought about not coming he has also said that he would like to stay longer than his intial two year contract: "I don’t like chopping and changing so when I make a decision it’s long term, at the moment it’s only for two years but if I still feel up for it I’d like to continue on and I certainly wouldn’t want to change.".

He certainly seems to like being in London (thank heavens he didn't make the mistake of siging for London Irish, Saracens or Wasps): "In terms of life in general, without saying I got stale in New Zealand, I think it’s possible to get burnt out in rugby in New Zealand because it’s very, very hard to escape from it. As much as I love New Zealand we’re obviously a small country and rugby does dominate and it makes it very difficult for the players to be able to get away from it. I just think in the case of my fiancée Jacqueline and I that this was a good option at this time in our lives to get away, not that I want to be touristy while I’m over here but there’s just so much to do outside of rugby here and I think it’s going to help my rugby a lot having that balance. I really think I’ll be able to get more out of myself than I ever have."

Although he is generally known for his kicking we have already seen some scintillating breaks from him and the likes of Monye, Harder and Keogh on the wings certainly seem to enjoy being on the end of his excellent distribution. The try that he set up with a long pass to MOnye on the wing in the pre-season match at Bristol was an excellent example. With five Bristol players bearing down on him right in front of his own posts, Mehrts sidestepped back and forwards confounding the would be tacklers before putting Monye into space with a long flat pass.

He has only been in London for a couple of months so far but already he has received rave reviews for every game he's played in. He's already notched up 66 points (1 try, 17 conversions, 9 penalties) in the 7 games he has taken part in so far.

As well as racking up the points he should also be able to be a mentor to Adrian Jarvis, Quins' excellent young fly-half.

As well as impressing with his play on the pitch he has also impressed fans (both Quins and opposition) off the pitch too being very happy to sign autographs, pose in photos and have a chat.

Let's hope Mehrts enjoys his time at Quins and decides to stay on for a number of years to come.

You can read more answers from Mehrtens at the pre-season press conference: Part 1, Part 2

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