Nathan Sharpe has signed as a coaching consultant with the Wallabies ahead of the British and Irish Lions series only five months after retiring as a professional player.
The veteran lock never played a test against the Lions in a 116-test career that finished when he led Australia to a victory against Six Nations champion Wales in Cardiff last December.
Sharpe played a tour match for Queensland against the Lions in 2001, a year before his test debut.
He says: "The fact that you can play for 11 seasons at test level ... and not get to play against them shows how rare the opportunity is.''
Sharpe will be part of a six-strong coaching team, led by Robbie Deans, and will work with the forwards, particularly on the lineout.
