Rugby World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has eased New Zealand concerns that he had jumped ship to the Wallabies, revealing he was merely offering Eddie Jones some "feedback" ahead of the 10th edition of the game's global showpiece.
The rugby world was shocked to learn of Hansen's appearance at Wallabies camp in France on Monday, which was first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, while veteran All Blacks hooker Dane Coles was left "gobsmacked" when told about the news in London.
But Hansen on Tuesday [NZT] clarified the level of his involvement, confirming he would be with the Wallabies for only a few days.
"Just like to put everybody's mind at rest that I haven't joined the Wallabies for the Rugby World Cup," Hansen told New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB from Paris.
"I'm only here for about three or four days at the request of Eddie, a good mate of mine, just to give him some feedback on what he is doing as opposed to anything else.
"Rugby is bigger than all of us, so happy to do that."
Rugby Australia had on Monday confirmed that Hansen had been brought into the Wallabies environment by Jones in an unpaid capacity, something Hansen reiterated when addressing his involvement on Tuesday.
"The things is if you're working for someone you're getting paid, I'm just here as a friend."
Asked what he had observed of the Wallabies in the short period he had been in France, Hansen said they were a team in transition whose coach wanted his players to adopt an Australian style of rugby.
"I don't think they have a problem, I've only been here less than 24 hours, so it's a bit hard to answer that question," Hansen said. "But personally I don't think they've got a problem, they're just a young side who are coming together and they've got a coach that wants them to work hard and be better, and I think they're buying into that.
"There's no secret to success, you've just got to work hard every day and ask yourself to be better along the way. And if you do that, you'll find success."
Coles, meanwhile, couldn't hind his shock on Monday night [NZT] when told of Hansen would be helping out the Wallabies this week.
"Who's that? Yeah, like actually? What like in a camp sort of setup?" Coles told reporters when informed that one of his former All Blacks coaches had shacked up with the Wallabies.
"Oh, that hurts a little bit to be fair, I'm actually a bit gobsmacked. I know he's quite tight with Eddie, I think they're pretty good mates. But he's a bit of an icon in the All Blacks setup; yeah I'm actually a bit speechless. It's a bit disappointing, but we can't do much about that."
Asked whether news of Hansen's involvement with the Wallabies was stinging, Coles added: "Yeah, it does kind of a bit, hey? I love him, he's a great man. I'm actually gobsmacked; I don't know whether you guys are having a bit of a laugh. But he's not obviously in our environment at the moment, so we've just got to leave it... hopefully he doesn't tell Eddie all our secrets.
"But I think he'll be respectful, that's the main thing. If he's respectful, which I think he will be to the All Blacks, then there'll be no problems. And that's just me trying to process what you've just said."
Ironically, it was Jones who brought the curtain down on Hansen's ambitions of a second straight World Cup triumph when England defeated the All Blacks 19-7 in the semifinals in Japan. The New Zealander stepped aside after the tournament, creating the opportunity for his then assistant Ian Foster to take on the head coaching role.
Hansen has since been one of Foster's leading supporters, particularly when the current All Blacks coach came within a whisker of losing his job in 2022. Then, when New Zealand Rugby decided to announce Scott Robertson as the All Blacks coach from 2024, Hansen again criticized the governing body's treatment of its current national coach.
In another interview, this time with New Zealand sports podcast, The Platform, Hansen confirmed he had informed Foster of his plan to assist Jones.
"We won't be giving them any trade secrets, but we will be giving them some feedback on what we're seeing," Hansen told Kiwi radio host Martin Devlin.
"Obviously Fozzie [All Blacks coach Ian Foster] didn't tell them [All Blacks players] I was coming here because I have spoken to Foz about it. They were fully informed on what was going on.
"I know Eddie very well, and we talk often. He said, 'can you spend some time with us'. I said 'yep, no problem'.
"He is a man who brings a lot of people into his environment.
"Anybody who knows me knows I won't be giving away any secrets about the All Blacks. You don't spend 20 years of your life working with a team to give it all away."
Riding an unbeaten 11-game streak, the All Blacks face arguably their toughest assignment along that journey when they face the Springboks on the neutral turf of Twickenham this weekend.
The one-off Test is a sellout at the home of English rugby and perhaps a nice distraction for local fans who have had little to cheer about in recent times; red cards to Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola, and a misfiring attack putting coach Steve Borthwick, who replaced Jones as England coach after the Australian was sacked last December, under enormous pressure.
But Coles and the All Blacks won't be worried about England nor the Wallabies, while the hooker also has little interest in seeking out the Australian for a coaching gig when he hangs up the boots.
"I'm actually looking for a job, [but] nah," Coles joked. "Obviously he's [Jones] a unique man and I s'pose in media and press conferences and that, he loves to have a yarn.
"But that's nothing to do with us, we're the All Blacks and we can't do much about what the Aussies are up to and, like I said, our complete focus is on playing the Boks this weekend."