Where were you the day Andrew Mehrtens flipped the bird at the Loftus crowd
Jamie Wall looks back on the infamous Andrew Mehrtens middle finger incident of 1999.
It’s a derby-free weekend of Super Rugby, with teams from every nation involved crossing oceans to complete round 11. One of the more notable is the unbeaten Crusaders visiting Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to take on the Bulls. It was in this fixture at the same venue in 1999 that one of Super Rugby’s most infamous acts of poor sportsmanship was perpetrated by a guy who looked like his mum still cut his hair.
These were simpler times for what was then the Super 12. The Crusaders still had the ‘Canterbury’ on the front of their name, and played in the first iteration of an armour-design jersey with white shorts. They were also stacked with All Blacks.
The Northern Bulls had slumped from being a semifinalist in Super 12’s first season to being a veritable shitshow by its fourth. By the time this ninth round fixture came around, the Bulls hadn’t won a game all season. They did however have one of the more memorable South African sponsors in clothing chain Mr. Price, whose arrangement with the teams it sponsors stipulates that the skipper must give his post-match interview in a Donald Trump-MAGA style hat.
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On this day in 1999, the lowly Bulls somehow managed to fight their way to 28-27 lead over the defending champions with time fast running out. But they made the costly mistake of allowing a midfield scrum and opportunity for Andrew Mehrtens to kick a drop goal, which sailed through the rarified high veldt air and between the sticks for a classic snatch-victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat moment.
Then Mehrtens showed the Pretoria crowd exactly what it meant to him to beat their team.
Maybe someone in the crowd had said something mean to him during the game. Maybe he remembered he had in fact been born in Durban, making the win over the rival Northern team extra special. Or could it be that he was just using his fingers to remind everyone of the final margin of victory?
Whatever the reason, Mehrtens’ raised middle fingers and ‘shove it up ya’ exclamation point to the main stand at Loftus went down in history. Either as the act of a rebellious scamp who just wanted to show a bit of passion, or as a classless piece of foolishness from a senior All Black who really should’ve known better. How you see it probably depends on which team you support.
Since social media didn’t really exist yet, the fallout from Mehrts’ salute was confined to newspapers, TV news and reenactments around schools and workplaces the following Monday morning. The first five received no official sanction for the gesture, which these days would probably incur a hefty fine and fake tearful apology.
The scandal didn’t seem to do much to the Crusaders on-field performance, with the team going on to successfully defend their Super Rugby title by beating the Otago Highlanders at the old Carisbrook ground in Dunedin.
Andrew Mehrtens kicked a drop goal in that game, too, but he left his hands in his pockets for the jog back to halfway.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments