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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.”