He received a resounding ovation from the Millennium Stadium crowd on Saturday after Wales beat Italy 44-10 in the final RBS 6 Nations Championship - his last game in charge.

The New Zealanders results do not make particularly pleasant reading - he has only won three championship matches in 14 outings - but he has taken credit for professionalising Welsh rugby.

And Hansen returns to New Zealand on April 20 to take up a post as All Blacks assistant coach happy with the state of the Welsh game and the ovation he had in Cardiff.

By and large the Welsh are warm-hearted people, and the performance was something that excited them, and it was easy for them to be warm-hearted, said Hansen.

It has been 22 years since a Welsh coach last saw out his contract so it was something different.

I think I have set out what I wanted to achieve but it is not up to me its whether other people reflect what I think.

Hansen said he left the Wales hot seat for Mike Ruddock with plenty of abiding memories.

Just seeing the boys achieve on a daily basis, that is the main thing for me. We came from a long way back in the field, and to make the improvements they have, that will stay with me as will the friendships, he said.

The performances in the World Cup will live with me, and the Twickenham game a couple of weeks ago was a nice memory after we were thumped by England two years ago.