New Zealand head coach Ian Foster insisted Wednesday he had known for a month that predecessor Steve Hansen had agreed to help rival Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup.
Hansen is assisting Australia boss Eddie Jones, a friend, as an unpaid adviser this week while the Wallabies prepare to face World Cup host France in a warm-up match in Paris on Saturday.
New Zealand hooker Dane Coles said he was "gobsmacked" by 2015 World Cup-winning coach Hansen's move.