Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt won't be putting his feet up for long after handing over the coaching reins to Les Kiss in July, with the veteran coach locked in as Australia A assistant coach under Stephen Larkham.
Rugby Australia announced on Friday Larkham will be leading the Australia A coaching group with Schmidt and Western Force coach Simon Cron to work beside him.
Larkham was previously named a potential Wallabies coaching candidate after it was announced Schmidt would end his tenure with the Wallabies following the Nations Championship but was overlooked for Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss who will step into the role for his first Test against Japan in August.
Larkham has built an impressive coaching resume since the end of his playing days including as assistant coach for the Wallabies, a stint with Ireland club Munster and has led the Brumbies to two semifinal appearances since his return to the club in 2023.
Meanwhile, the retention of Schmidt is a major boon for the Australia A program and the code in general, keeping the well credentialed coach within the system ahead of next year's World Cup.
"We are pleased to have assembled a highly-credentialed and experienced Australia A coaching staff for this year," RA Director of High Performance Peter Horne said.
"To have Stephen, Simon, and Joe driving this program will ensure our next cohort of players get access to an elite-level environment where they have the opportunity to grow and develop their games.
"With the home World Cup firmly on the horizon, building genuine depth is one of our key priorities and this campaign will allow us to do exactly that."
The inclusion of Cron, who recently re-signed with the Force on a one-year deal after leading the group to their best season in 12 years, shows the sporting body's intent to continue to grow the depth of their coaching stocks.
The Australia A fixtures are expected to be announced later this month.