Melbourne Rebels coach Rod Macqueen will make the most of new signing Danny Cipriani, the English five-eighth's one-time mentor says.

Former Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan, director of rugby at Wasps as Cipriani broke through internationally, believes Macqueen can help him regain the eye-catching form he showed against Ireland in March 2008.

"Two years in the southern hemisphere against South Africans, New Zealanders and Australians will not be a bad education for him," McGeechan told Tuesday's edition of The Times.

"He'll be out of the media spotlight and I would have advised him to take the opportunity.

"He's also going to a coach who I think will get the best out of him.

"Rod Macqueen is an outstanding coach.

"He will see Danny as a very important challenge, to get him back to where he was when he played Ireland.

"That game is the base from which you want him to develop."

Cipriani, who scored all the points for London Wasps in a losing Guinness Premiership cause against Leeds Carnegie on Sunday, is due to join the new Super 15 franchise in October.

Melbourne intend to play him at fullback.

McGeechan said Cipriani was still finding condition after recovering from two serious injuries.

"People forget Danny has had two broken legs in the last 18 months," he added.

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