MELBOURNE – Former All Blacks assistant coach Scott McLeod has been appointed as the new Wallabies defence coach under incoming head coach Les Kiss, Rugby Australia announced Monday.

The 53-year-old will join the Wallabies ahead of their test against Japan on August 8, which will mark Kiss's first match in charge following Joe Schmidt’s departure as head coach.

“I am very excited to return to international rugby, especially to join up with Les and the team to build on the foundations that have been put in place,” McLeod said in a statement. “There is a lot of excitement building within Rugby Australia, and I am really committed to doing my part.”

McLeod was part of the All Blacks’ coaching staff at the last two World Cups, working under Steve Hansen and Ian Foster.

Australia has increasingly recruited coaching talent from New Zealand in recent years, with Schmidt previously bringing in Mike Cron and Tom Donnelly to manage the Wallabies’ set-piece play.

Laurie Fisher, who joined Schmidt’s staff in 2024, will transition into a consultancy role to help maintain continuity within Australia’s high-performance system ahead of next year’s World Cup on home soil, Rugby Australia added.

-Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Reuters/Reuters