Ex-All Blacks star Andrew Mehrtens has warned New Zealand face a “mountain to climb” against the Springboks on Saturday, with the match intensity set to top a World Cup final.
Mehrtens, who won 70 Test caps and scored 967 points between 1995 and 2004, was speaking on the Boks Unpacked X Verdict podcast ahead of the first in the back-to-back four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, which moves on to Cape Town Stadium and FNB Stadium before wrapping up in Baltimore, USA.
The former flyhalf was central to the All Blacks’ 1996 tour win in South Africa, kicking heavily off the tee in a 2-1 series victory.
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“I can just imagine the Boks will come out with a ferocity that you don’t even see in a World Cup final,” he said. “This will be another step up, even from a World Cup final, in terms of intensity.
“The All Blacks have looked good at times with their attack against the URC teams, but the speed of the defence from the Boks and the intensity of the physicality is going to be another two or three steps higher.
“I’m sure they’re preparing themselves for the onslaught, but until you get out there, it’s hard to imagine what it’s going to be like until you take those first hits.”
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South Africa have won 10 of their 16 Tests against New Zealand at Ellis Park, most recently a 31-27 Bok victory in 2024.
“Winning this week would genuinely be a bonus. Ellis Park is the ancestral Springbok home. The first Test of a series like this is massive,” Mehrtens noted.
“Then you come down to sea level, which we’re more used to, and you’ve got a game back at the Calabash – we’ve got a better chance there. And in Baltimore, on a neutral ground, we’ve got to think we’ve got a chance too.
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“In their heart of hearts, the All Blacks will know this is potentially the toughest assignment of all four Tests. This one really seems like the biggest mountain to climb.”
He doesn’t expect a tight, low-scoring arm wrestle either: “Both these teams know they can score lots of points. Physically it’s going to be very close and very tight, but that doesn’t mean the scoreboard can’t blow out.”
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
The post Mehrts: All Blacks won’t expect to win at Ellis Park appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Ex-All Blacks star Andrew Mehrtens has warned New Zealand face a “mountain to climb” against the Springboks on Saturday, with the match intensity set to top a World Cup final.
The post Mehrts: All Blacks won’t expect to win at Ellis Park appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
