Rugby: Happy homecoming for King Carlos

Carlos Spencer is keen to try his hand at coaching. Photo / Getty Images

Carlos Spencer can still pull the crowds.

The jet-lagged former All Blacks five-eighth strolled past the lunch buffet at his Lions Super 14 rugby team's Wellington hotel and did a double-take as a media pack descended.

In what he might rue as bad timing, Spencer chose to appear from the team room just before the New Zealand cricket team's media session across the hallway.

Sorry, Shane Bond, would you mind waiting for Carlos?

At 34, the 35-test All Black from 1995-2004 admits his first fortnight back in the Super 14 with the South African side has been an eye-opener.

"I'm just trying to keep up really. I'm not getting any younger, I'm getting slower. For me it's just trying to do the best I can to help this side succeed," he said.

After nearly five years in England, first with Northampton then Gloucester, Spencer answered the call of the perennial Super 14 strugglers to assist coach Dick Muir and restore a bit of pride to the franchise.

They have lost their opening two matches, the latest a bizarre 18-try competition record score as the Chiefs won 72-65 in Johannesburg last weekend. Even in Spencer's colourful career, he struggled to recall scoring 65 points and losing.

"Exciting for the fans but not a great defensive effort from both sides," he deadpanned.

It has been a big adjustment for Spencer from cold, muddy kickfests to high octane rugby on the high veldt.

He was given a royal welcome by the South Africans and admits the work ethic and skill is similar to what he remembers in New Zealand sides.

Far from the old-fashioned, dour reputation of South African teams, the Lions are promising an open, running style as they embark on a torrid five-week tour of New Zealand and Australia starting with the unbeaten Hurricanes here on Saturday night.

"After last week the boys have come here with a lot of confidence. We've shown we can move the ball around and we've got some really skilful individual players," Spencer said.

The shift south came at a good time for Spencer, too, as he focuses on his coaching ambitions.

With his playing career winding down, he is eyeing an assistant coaching career and is already learning from one of the best in the form of Muir.

"It's something I'd like to get into, more along the skills side of things, not the serious side like head coach. I'll leave that to the other guys."

So did he ever think he'd end up in South Africa?

"No, never, not until about a month ago. It was one of those things that came out of the blue for me, and I thought it was a great opportunity to finish off my career coming back to the Super 14.

"I needed some more exciting rugby to play and also the coaching side of things came up. That's one of the main reasons why I'm in South Africa, as well is to get some coaching experience under my belt."

This week will be something of a homecoming for Spencer, raised just up State Highway One in Levin before he was plucked from the Horowhenua team as a teenager to the big smoke in Auckland, and iconic status with the Blues.

He is not worried about any hostility from the Wellington crowd - "it's just another game for me" - and admits he barely knows any of his New Zealand opponents this weekend.

The biggest headache is obvious, as friends and family descend from Horowhenua to support their boy at Westpac Stadium.

"I need quite a few (tickets) so I'm hoping the boys can hook me up. I've got a few friends and family coming."

- NZPA