All Blacks will return

If it was up to him, the All Blacks could return as early as next year.

But the Vaiala matai who coaches the world champion All Blacks, Tupuivao Steve Hansen, says there is a high possibility the All Blacks will return to Samoa very soon.

“I’d say there is a high likelihood,” Tupuivao told the Samoa Observer yesterday before the team boarded an Air New Zealand flight back to New Zealand.

“The biggest issue is being able to fit it into the calendar but I think there will be a willingness to come back after what we’ve experienced this time.”

The All Blacks arrived on Monday night to a rapturous welcome from Samoa from Faleolo International Airport to their hotel at Sogi.

And during their short visit, Tupuivao said the warmth with which the Samoan people embraced them would never be forgotten.

Asked if everything went according to his expectations, Tupuivao responded: “Probably better actually.”

He praised the Samoan people and everyone involved in organising the historical first test between the two countries in Apia.

“We expected one or two hiccups but we didn't get them, everything was pretty much run as they said they were going to run it,” he said.

“I think that’s a combination of some great work between the New Zealand Rugby Union helping the Samoa Rugby Union and then the people on the ground here doing a great job. I have nothing but praise for the whole set up.”

Speaking of praises, Tupuivao had plenty of admiration about the way Manu Samoa played on Wednesday, losing 25-16 to the world champions infront of a capacity crowd.

“I thought the Samoans really stood up and played well and credit to them. They played for the full eighty, which bodes well for them going forward.”

The coach said the game was just what the All Blacks needed heading to the Rugby Championships with a game against Argentina next week.

“We badly needed the game.

We had a number of athletes who had been out for longer than four weeks without football and someone like Izzy, he’s only played a few games all year so we badly needed it.

“It was an untidy game but we badly needed it and we expected it to be a little like it was. Besides, the opposition were good.”

Tupuivao added that the team had been looking forward to the trip to Samoa for a long time.

“The opportunity to come over here and do something for Samoan rugby and Samoan people has been fantastic,” he said. “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it would be hard to beat.”

But in a Rugby World Cup year, Tupuivao said there is no rest for their squad. In fact, they go back to work right away today.

“The seventeen players who didn't come through here would meet on Friday and we’ll take them through what we’ve been doing and probably have a training run on Saturday morning with them while the rest of the guys will probably come in on Saturday afternoon.”

Asked how the players were recovering after the heat of Apia Park, he said: “They’re pretty good, they’re smart athletes and most of them have been there a wee while so they’ve put on plenty of fluids. It’s just a matter of making sure the next four days we recover well and come back in on Saturday ready to go.

Lastly, Tupuivao was asked whether veteran Keven Mealamu, captain Richie McCaw and Dan Carter’s most likely last campaign for the All Blacks has been a distraction.

"As a group we have to sit down and say 'how are we going to deal with this, boys?'

"Are we going to embrace it and make it work for us, or is it going to be something we carry around like a sack of coal on our backs and it becomes a burden?"