Veteran All Blacks hooker Dane Coles said he was "gobsmacked" to hear former New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is helping rivals Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup.

Hansen has agreed to assist Australia head coach Eddie Jones, a long-time friend, this week as an unpaid adviser while the Wallabies prepare to face France on Sunday in a World Cup warm-up played in Paris.

Coles, who has played 86 Tests for New Zealand, was stunned to hear his ex-All Blacks boss is currently in the Wallabies camp.