Steve Hansen says he loves being All Blacks coach but admits the "emotional rollercoaster" of the job does take a toll at the back-end of the year.
Player fatigue couldn't be compared with the tiredness experienced by coaches, who get a good break, according to Hansen, who is set to announce his future plans after the 2019 Rugby World Cup before Christmas.
"It's always an easy gig when you’re winning, it's a little tougher when you lose because you've got to go a little deeper and find the reasons why," he said.
"I call it being on the Ferris wheel, you get on, on Monday and you get off Saturday for about eight hours then you're back on it.
"I love the job, the job is not hard to do, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to do it."
Hansen has been part of the All Blacks set-up since 2004 as an assistant before taking on the head coaching role in 2012.
"Physically and mentally and emotionally you get tired by the end of the year, but it's a matter of getting up and doing your job, it's not that difficult.
"I don't think you can compare coaches to players. Coaches get a good break."
The All Blacks' final Test of 2018 is this Sunday (NZ time) against Italy in Rome.
"Yeah, I can turn off and on pretty quick, I don't have too much trouble sleeping at night."
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