All Blacks scoring machine Andrew Mehrtens said on Wednesday he hoped France would be at the receiving end of a similar performance from New Zealand in Saturday’s one-off test as they produced on Armistice Day in 2000.
The 29-year-old South African-born fly-half starred in the 39-26 triumph at the Stade de France two years ago in which he became the fastest man to 700 test points in a match named after Dave Gallaher — the first ever captain of an All Black touring team who died at the battle of Paschendaele in World War I.
”That was a fantastic performance, I think one of the best I have been involved in,” said Mehrtens, who was a member of the 1995 World Cup finalists team.
”Not a lot of people back home acknowldedged that but to my mind it was a great victory,” he added.
Mehrtens said the All Blacks would have to play to that level on Saturday if they were to repeat such a feat. ”The French game reflects their lifestyle — live for the moment.
”All of a sudden the French can turn on the flair, the same as a big Italian family lunch — always unpredictable,” said Mehrtens, who became the All Blacks most capped back last Saturday when he came on as a replacement in the 31-28 defeat by England to win his 64th cap.
Mehrtens said the main difference between playing the French and the other northern hemisphere teams was that you could never relax. ”With some teams like England you can reach a point where you know how the game is going to run whereas with the French you can
never relax, you are always nervous because they can turn a game on its head in seconds,” he said.
Mehrtens, who remarked following the World Cup final defeat to South Africa that he was sure a Natal witch doctoress had put a hex on him for the match, revealed the French style of play was his preferred one and bemoaned the increasing emphasis on gym work and muscle-building.
”I’m a bit of a traditionalist, though I would stop short of saying I’m a romantic.
”However I prefer when the ball is thrown around a lot.
”The modern player concentrates too much on the gym and not the basics such as passing and drawing your opponent — thanks to that the game has lost some of its romanticism,” added Mehrtens, whose hero is flamboyant former French fullback Serge Blanco.
Mehrtens denied, like winger Jonah Lomu, the only two of the touring party to have been part of both the teams that lost to South Africa in the World Cup final and to France in the epic 1999 semi-final, was on trial for his place in next year’s finals squad.
”There’s always competition for an All Blacks jersey and it didn’t bother me that I wasn’t in the starting XV against England,” he said.
”There’s a reason for everything and those who are on the bench are just as keen for the boys out there to do well.
”We put pressure on each other to perform which spurs us on to play well,” he added.
Mehrtens said he had no plans to retire after the World Cup next year and suggested he would go on till at least the 2007 finals.
”Why not even the 2011 one when I will only be 38!” he laughed.
”Every New Zealand rugby player’s ambition is to become an All Black and then once you have pulled the shirt on your next target is to be a good All Black and so it goes on.
”The thing is once you’ve worn the shirt you never want to let go.” – Sapa-AFP