Australian rugby is in the right hands with Dave Rennie at the helm of the Wallabies, according to recently returned Brumbies fullback Tom Banks.
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And Banks has backed Rennie's attack-minded approach as a foundation upon which to rebuild the Australian national team, following its frustrating Tri Series campaign over the spring against New Zealand and Argentina.
A win over the All Blacks in Brisbane was Rennie's only return from his first six matches in charge of the Wallabies, but he also came away with three draws to usher in a new era of Australian rugby.
Banks is clearly a key cog in Rennie's plans going forward - the Queenslander started four of the Wallabies' six internationals during the spring, and came off the bench in the final 16-16 draw against the Pumas.
The only match he missed was the Wallabies' 43-5 mauling at the hands of the All Blacks in Sydney.
"The new set up that they've brought in, the coaching staff have been really good," Banks said.
"It's really positive in the stuff they're trying to bring in, some really attacking rugby and really going back to attacking principles and basics that we may have gone away from.
"It's something that a lot of players have really bought into and it's only going to get better with time. Attacking's always been a brand of Australian rugby and I think we've really tried to bring that back.
"I really enjoyed it and just hope to get back there in the new future."
The 26-year-old was one of several late comers to Brumbies preseason training this year after an exhaustive 2020 which included about two and a half months in a Wallabies bubble after the Brumbies' Super Rugby AU title win in September.
He was forced to quarantine on his return to Canberra after spending Christmas with family in Brisbane, but only for three days after the ACT's recent easing of border restrictions with Queensland.
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Four weeks out from their Super Rugby title defence, Banks said the Brumbies have gone back to basics in a bid to further improve off last year.
"A lot of it's been around basic skill, it can sort of get lost in preseason because it's quite a tough time but that basic skill, being able to execute your pass, your kick [is important]," Banks said.
"At an international level it does make the difference when you're finishing off tries and all around the field.
"You've got to score points to win I guess but they also put a lot of emphasis on defence. If you look a lot of the championship winning teams, defence obviously wins it for them."