All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has defended Owen Franks, saying SANZAAR made the right decision not to suspend him for an alleged eye-gouge on Australia's Kane Douglas during Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup match.

New video of the incident emerged late on Sunday that shows Franks clearly making contact with Douglas' eyes, but SANZAAR deemed there were no incidents from the match that reached a red card threshold. Franks will be free to play for the remainder of the All Blacks' Rugby Championship campaign.

It comes after Wallabies coach Michael Cheika accused Franks of deliberately eye-gouging Douglas during a maul in the seventh minute of his side's 29-9 loss in Wellington.

World Rugby laws state that a player cannot make "contact with the eye area", while two different angles suggest Franks touched Douglas's eyes on one occasion, then grabs him around the neck seconds later.