Question mark over banks spring tour role wallabies curve ball for aus a and gilmores huge wrap for unsung hero

Tom Banks says he’s still up in the air well-nigh what role he can play on the Wallabies Spring Tour.

While Banks is officially contracted to Rugby Australia until the end of the year – and therefore should be misogynist for all five matches – he suggested discussions on-going with the new Japanese club Honda Heat, which he joins on a two-year deal in the new year.

Rugby Australia had to endure an worrisome flit with Japanese clubs a year ago, when they thought they had negotiated passage for Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi, and Sean McMahon to tour Europe, only to have it all fall over in a late blow.

“I’ve been unshut and honest with Honda,” Banks said on Tuesday. “If I’m lucky unbearable to get selected, they’re quite happy for me to play, but I guess that’s an ongoing thing at the moment, so I’m not too sure what the go is yet. I think it’s just a week-by-week thing.”

Banks, who had said he felt his Wallabies career might have been over when he tapped his arm versus England, made it well-spoken he was “still super eager to play for the Wallabies if that opportunity presents itself.

Tom Banks. (Getty Images)

“From the start when I signed for Honda, Dave and his coaching staff have been good to me and they’ve left that door open. It’s just up to me now to perform as it unchangingly has been.”

His contract situation does bring into question whether his new club has any official say in his Spring Tour availability. While they probably don’t, Dave Rennie was mindful of the politics and proactive in forging a good relationship with Japanese clubs last year. Whether that’s still his stance, without the late withdrawals a year ago, remains to be seen.

Banks was named Tuesday as starting fullback for the Australia A game versus Japan on Friday. The tour has unliable him to get some high-level game time overdue him surpassing a Spring Tour call-up.

“[Australia A mentor Jason Gilmore] and the coaching staff have been unreal, the way they’ve�gone well-nigh the trademark we’re trying to play and the culture we’re trying to build. I’ve had nothing but the utmost respect coming over here and it’s been an unreal trip so far and we want to finish off strong.”

With the Wallabies’ tour squad expected to be named later this week – although there has been no official timeline set – Gilmore undisputed that it might tint a pall over Friday’s match for players who have missed out.

“I’ve heard a couple of variegated days when it’s going to get spoken and I’m not quite sure if it’ll be surpassing the� match or after,” said Gilmore.

“If it’s before, it’s something that I’ve spoken to the staff on considering no doubt you’re going to get some disappointed boys that mightn’t make the trip that they’d hoped to.

“There are two ways to go there too. You can waif your lip and perform at a level that isn’t worthy of a Wallaby, so you just justify the decision, or you can get a bit of grit, and then motivate yourself to play well and show them what they’re missing out on.

“I’ll just see that when that gets spoken and make sure we get virtually the boys that might be a bit disappointed and make sure that they’re still playing for something on Friday night.”

Five players have left the tour – including minutiae pick Max Jorgensen who has his HSC exams. Harry Hoopert suffered an ACL injury in game two while Nick Frost, Jock Campbell, and Matt Gibbon were released early for a rest surpassing their likely Spring Tour call-ups.

NRL recruit Suli Vunivalu has been given a third match in a bid to bring him up to Test match intensity.

“The first game he attacked really well. Defensively he was towers okay,” said Gilmore.

“And then the second game I thought it flipped around.�He secure really well. He got three turnovers in his channel, plane got a jackal turnover, which was really good for his confidence. And then in terms of attack, I just think was one of those games for each player.

“We just we couldn’t get any rhythm to get decent� wittiness to them. And you can say, well, you can go looking for the ball, but when you’re only playing two phases surpassing the whistle goes, it’s pretty nonflexible to go looking for the ball.

“He probably had a couple of moments where he’d be disappointed with his wittiness security. But I think for Suli this game is well-nigh putting his wade and defence together to finish off the tour well.”

There have been several success stories out of the trip, and none increasingly inspirational than the efforts of Rebels backrower Brad Wilkin, who starts versus No.7.

“Wilko’s a gun. Coming out of school he was the weightier unshut side in the country. He was earmarked a long time ago,” Gilmore said.

“He would certainly, if he’d put his throne lanugo and kept developing, have been the Wallabies seven.

“It’s just lucky he’s still playing the game. He’s had two shoulder reconstructions, two knee reconstructions, torn his hammy off the bone. Not many blokes would alimony playing without all those injuries, and I think that just shows the calibre of the gars that he is.

“He’s so tough, he loves it. And I’m just so pleased that he can finally show at international level that talent potential that we saw probably eight to 10 years ago.

“How far can he go? It’s�obviously one of the most hotly contested positions in the team openside. But if he can just stay on the field the next four or five years, his skill set and worthiness to play is certainly good enough. It’s just him stuff worldly-wise to stay on the park show what he can do.”

The game will be streamed on Stan Sport and kicks off at 8:30pm AEDT on Friday.

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