The NSW Waratahs have hired All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens as kicking coach for the upcoming Super Rugby season.
One of the most prolific point-scorers in rugby history, 40-year-old Mehrtens is now based in Sydney for business and will assist the Waratahs on a part-time basis advising kickers Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley and Brendan McKibbin.
Mehrtens scored nearly 1000 points in his 70 Test matches for New Zealand, second on the all-time list, and will go down as one of New Zealand's greatest five-eighths.
He played against Waratahs coach Michael Cheika in Italy many years ago and he also shares a close relationship wih NSW backs coach Daryl Gibson from their playing days with the champion Crusaders in Christchurch.
Mehrtens said he has no desire to become a full-time coach, but despite his outside interests and All Black heritage, he jumped at the chance to become involved with an Australian franchise.
"I like both those guys (Cheika and Gibson), I think they're awesome coaches and I like what they seem to be trying to doing here as well," Mehrtens said.
"It's just a pleasure to be involved and not working full time in rugby now, I've actually got a passion for it.
"I think it's one of those things Australians and New Zealanders and to a certain extent South Africans do pretty well is sort of export their knowledge."
"If I can do anything to help anyone enjoy similar experiences and a similar enjoyment to what I had in rugby then great."
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