Strawbridge, who is now in Waikato Hospital in a critical but stable condition, arrived back on a medical flight from Apia on Friday after being struck down by a rare illness there.
He had gone to Samoa last week as technical adviser for the Manu Samoa national rugby side ahead of the All Blacks test.
But on Tuesday, the day before the test, he was admitted to Moto'otua National Hospital in Apia with an infection in his right eye which had deteriorated rapidly.
