Hansen was in Dunedin on Thursday to watch the Highlanders train and also speak to specific players.
Though he did not want to discuss individual performances, Hansen said the Highlanders had identified a few things they had wanted to change and had done that and were reaping the rewards.
"As a coaching group and as a playing group they are performing well. They are a well-coached team who are performing," Hansen said.
He was not surprised at the performance of Jimmy Cowan and his elevation to the team captaincy.
"If there is one particular attribute that Jimmy has, it is that he is a very honest person. He showed a lot of perseverance last year and an ability to cope with adversity.
"But he's tidied his act up a hell of a lot and earned the respect of a lot of people."
Hansen kept an eye on the forwards on Thursday and met the players after training.
The All Black coaching team had been around all five New Zealand franchises during the Super 14, Hansen said, and would keep a close eye on the teams as it finalised its squad for the coming year.
The All Blacks kick off their 2009 season with a test against France on June 13 in Dunedin. Hansen agreed the Super 14 had taken a while to get going. The impact made on New Zealand teams by players going overseas was becoming evident, he said.
"With all the players we have seen go offshore, every team has now got a lot of young players. And experience is hard to replace. It takes time."
Hansen said the All Black coaching team had plenty of hard work to do but it was looking forward to another busy year.
