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.
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"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."
