Mehrtens warns All Blacks before Ellis Park Rugby rivalry opener

Andrew Mehrtens believes New Zealand face the most difficult assignment of their four-Test series against South Africa when the teams meet at Ellis Park on Saturday. South Africa have won 10 of their 16 Tests against the All Blacks at the Johannesburg venue, including a 31-27 victory in 2024.

The former New Zealand flyhalf expects the Springboks to bring a level of intensity beyond what is normally seen in a World Cup final. He said the opening match would demand a major physical response from the All Blacks from the first exchanges.

Mehrtens feels New Zealand’s attacking performances against United Rugby Championship opposition have shown promise, but he believes that will not fully prepare them for South Africa’s defensive speed and physical pressure. The All Blacks, he said, may only understand the scale of that challenge once the match begins.

The 70-cap former international, who scored 967 Test points between 1995 and 2004, knows the setting well. He played a key role in New Zealand’s 2-1 tour-series win in South Africa in 1996, making a significant contribution with his goal-kicking.

He considers an All Blacks victory in Johannesburg a bonus because Ellis Park remains one of South Africa’s most significant rugby venues. New Zealand’s prospects, in his assessment, improve later in the series when the teams move to Cape Town Stadium and then FNB Stadium, before the final Test in Baltimore in the United States.

The four-match Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series is expected to produce points as well as a physically demanding contest. Mehrtens does not anticipate a low-scoring stalemate, arguing that both teams have enough attacking ability to create a wide scoreboard margin even if the battle remains close in contact and intensity.