Young Gun: Beno Obano – Bath prop

Beno Obano was a superstar on the school circuit in 2013 when his rampaging runs for Dulwich were feared all over the country.
Linked with the Wasps academy, the young loosehead was set to take the Premiership by storm but a back injury brought him back earth.
The 19-year-old spent the whole season nursing the injury without playing a single game while his cousin Maro Itoje, who he grew up with, captained England U20s to a world title.
Released by Wasps, he joined Bath last summer and is now on the mend after starting the season dual-registered with Coventry in National League One.
“Last year was a nightmare,” he told The Rugby Paper. “There was a lot of expectation on me after the season I had with Dulwich and I was supposed to smash everything but I didn’t play a single game.
“I had a stress fracture in my back that kept me out the whole of last season. I felt uncomfortable for the Daily Mail Cup semi-final and final for Dulwich back in 2013 but there was no way I’d miss these two games.
“I played a lot or rugby in my last year at school and I think I paid the price for it. Because I was a young prop Wasps thought I had to get it right rather than start my career injured.
“Playing for England U20s and go to the World Cup with Maro was my biggest goal last year but I had to let it go.
“I thought about doing something else but I couldn’t let my friends and family down. A lot of people supported me to play rugby and I just could not give up.
“But Wasps changed their academy manager and because he’d never see me play he let me go. It was hard but it motivated me to try even harder and the opportunity with Bath came up.
“I did all the pre-season there and Mike Ford offered me a contract. Bath is great club and having Neale Hatley as a coach is awesome.
“After the season I had, I’m just happy to play rugby again. Being at Coventry is good for me because it allows me to play week-in week-out. I want to remain injury-free now and see what happens with Bath.”
Obano grew up a football fan but his size pushed his teachers at London Oratory to suggest rugby could be the sport for him.
He was 12 and has not looked back since. Two years later, Wasps snapped him up and a storming performance at Dulwich with his school put him on head coach Sam Howard’s radar.
He joined the prestigious London school in the sixth form where he was key member in their most successful period since the 1998 Invincibles.
He said: “I remember my first game. It was against Hampton and they put me on the wing.
“I scored six tries but I hated that position as you’d never see the ball. So I quickly moved to prop where I could pick the ball from the base of the ruck and run.
“I had a great time at Dulwich. I lived not too far from the school so I knew a lot of the boys and it just worked. We ended up winning two consecutive Daily Mail Cups, the St Joseph’s Festival as well as going undefeated in 2013.”