Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper flatly rejected the suggestion that there might be anything wrong with him helping England flyhalf Marcus Smith with his development.
The pair could face each other at Perth Stadium on Saturday when Australia host England in the first match of a three-Test series.
Cooper, 34, says the 23-year-old Englishman had gotten in touch on social media when his former Queensland teammate Ben Tapuai was playing with Smith at Harlequins and he gave him a few pointers on his game ever since.
He explains: “We’re all here to help each other grow, we play a sport that’s a competitive sport, but at the end of the day we play the same sport.
“We want the sport to flourish, we want our peers, our counterparts, to flourish as well.
“If you're of the mindset where you’re trying to hold things back and you’re trying to stunt someone else’s growth, for me personally, that’s such a negative way to live your life.
“For me, if I can help someone progress, or someone can help me progress, those are the kind of friendships and relationships and people I want to be around in my day-to-day life.”
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