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Obano starts first game in 7 months as Bath, Worcester name teams

(Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

Fit-again England prop Beno Obano will start his first game in just over seven months when Bath take on Worcester Warriors in their final fixture of the Gallagher Premiership season. The England international returned to action last time out in the win over London Irish following an ACL injury and now makes his seventh appearance of the campaign.

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It was in October versus Saracens when Obano ruptured his ACL versus Saracens and with the 27-year-old having inked a contract extension at Bath, he recently told RugbyPass that he now wants to go on and achieve great things.

“I’m at peace with everything but am I happy with everything? Probably not. Like, I wish the previous years we could have won more (at Bath), I could have played more for England and stuff like that but those are things that happen in your career. Like when your knee goes at England camp, that is just the game, that is what we sign up for.

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James O’Connor is brilliantly open about his life & career | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 36

James O’Connor joins the lads this week to walk us through his phenomenal and often misunderstood career. He talks to us about being the youngest player to line out in Super Rugby and for the Wallabies, struggling with alcohol, fame and partying, as well as playing in London, Manchester and Toulon before returning to Australia. One of the most talented players of his generation, he gives us an incredible insight into the highs and lows of his career so far and what his plans are next. Max and Ryan also cover off the Champions Challenge Cup Finals and the jubilant scenes in La Rochelle

Video Spacer

James O’Connor is brilliantly open about his life & career | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 36

James O’Connor joins the lads this week to walk us through his phenomenal and often misunderstood career. He talks to us about being the youngest player to line out in Super Rugby and for the Wallabies, struggling with alcohol, fame and partying, as well as playing in London, Manchester and Toulon before returning to Australia. One of the most talented players of his generation, he gives us an incredible insight into the highs and lows of his career so far and what his plans are next. Max and Ryan also cover off the Champions Challenge Cup Finals and the jubilant scenes in La Rochelle

“I’m at peace with that and I’m content with it but am I super happy? No, but there are still a few years to achieve and achieve some good stuff. If these next few years go extremely well the way you look back on the whole thing completely changes.”

Elsewhere in the Bath line-up, Wales No8 Taulupe Faletau will play his last game for the club ahead of his switch to Cardiff as will ex-England out-half Danny Cipriani, who has been named on the bench.

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Farewells will also be the order of the day for Worcester as the departing Niall Annett (who is joining Bath), Christian Judge (Saracens) and Sam Lewis started their final Warriors games with Ethan Waller (Northampton) saying his goodbye from the bench in what will also be Alan Solomons’ final match as director of rugby.

BATH: 15. Tom de Glanville; 14. Joe Cokanasiga, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Max Ojomoh, 11. Will Muir; 10. Orlando Bailey, 9. Ben Spencer; 1. Beno Obano, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Ewan Richards, 5. Charlie Ewels (capt), 6. Jaco Coetzee, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Taulupe Faletau. Reps: 16. Jacques du Toit, 17. Valeriy Morozov, 18. Ma’afu Fia, 19. Mike Williams, 20. Miles Reid, 21. Max Green, 22. Danny Cipriani, 23. Gabriel Hamer-Webb

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WORCESTER: 15. Jamie Shillcock; 14. Perry Humphreys, 13. Francois Venter, 12. Ashley Beck, 11. Duhan van der Merwe; 10. Fin Smith, 9. Gareth Simpson; 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. Niall Annett, 3. Christian Judge, 4. Joe Batley, 5. Graham Kitchener, 6. Kyle Hatherell, 7. Sam Lewis, 8. Ted Hill (capt). Reps: 16. Isaac Miller, 17. Ethan Waller, 18. Murray McCallum, 19. Andrew Kitchener, 20. Tom Dodd, 21. Will Chudley, 22. Noah Heward, 23. Alex Hearle

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J
JW 13 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

I can guarantee that none of the three would have got a chance with Ireland in the state they arrived from NZ.

Why would you think they would?

Two of them were at Leinster and were bench-warmers when they arrived

Sometimes you can be beyond stupid JW.

Haha look who's talking! Hello? Can you just read what you wrote about Leinster to yourself again please lol

It took prob four seasons to get James Lowe's defence up to the required standard to play international footy. If Jacob Stockdale had not experienced a big slump in form he might not have gotten the chance at all.

I'm really not sure why you're making this point. Do you think Ireland are a better team than the All Blacks, where those players would have been straight in? This is like ground hog day the movie with you. Can you not remember much of the discussions, having so many readers/commentors? Yup, 26/7/8 would have been the perfect age for them to have been capped by NZ as well.


Actually, they would obviously have been capped given an opportunity earlier (where they were ineligible to for Ireland).


TTT, who was behind JGP at the Hurricanes, got three AB caps after a couple of further seasons acting as a backup SR player, once JGP left of course. In case you didn't see yourself contradicting your own comments above, JGP was just another player who became first choice for Ireland while 2nd (or even 3rd/outside the 23 in recent cases) for Leinster. And fair enough, no one is suggesting JGP would have surpassed TJP in three or four years either. He would have been an All Black though, and unlike in your Leinster example, similar performances from him would have seen TJP move on earlier to make way for him. Not limited him like he was in Ireland. That's just the advantage of the way they can only afford so many. Hell, one hit wonders like Seta Tamanivalu and Malakai Fekitoa got rocketed into the jersey at the time.


So not just him. Aki and Lowe both would have had opportunities, as you must know has been pointed out by now. It's true that the adversity of having to move to Ireland added a nice bit of mongrel to their game though, along with their typical development.


Aki looked comfortable as the main 12 in his first two seasons, he was fortunate SBW went back to league for a season you could say, but as a similar specialist he ultimate had to give the spot back again on his return. There's certainly no doubt he would have returned and flourished with coachs like Rennie, Wayne Smith, and Andrew Strawbridge, even Tom Coventry. All fair for him to take up an immediate contract instead of wait a year of course though.


It's just whatever the point of your comments are meant to make, your idea that these players wouldn't have achieved high honors in NZ is simply very shortsighted and simplistic. I can only think you are making incorrect conclusions about this topic because of this mistake. As a fan, Aki was looking to be the Nonu replacement for me, but instead the country had the likes of Laumape trying to fill those boots with him available. Ditto with Lowe once Rieko moved to center.

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