MILES Benjamin admits his own experience of ‘second season syndrome’ was a real learning curve and helped him to become a better all-round player.

The explosive winger burst onto the scene in 2007 with a stunning return of 15 tries, including nine in the Guinness Premiership.

However, his second campaign in the first XV, which was badly disrupted by a broken leg, harvested just four scores from 22 appearances. No longer the unknown quantity of his first season, Benjamin found himself the focus of opposition defenders.

This term, though, there are signs the Solihull-born speedster is returning to his best — a claim backed up by his five tries in 10 outings — while Warriors boss Mike Ruddock is delighted with the defensive improvements Benjamin has made.

The 21-year-old said: “Last year was a bit of a learning curve for me. When you are not scoring tries it gives you the opportunity — albeit a forced one — to find other parts of your game and improve on them.

“If people know what you are doing and are looking out for the things that you did in the first season, it makes you work harder to get the better of them again. You become easy to mark so have got to add areas to your game.

“I did struggle with injury, it can be difficult when you get a big injury, and I felt I was going fairly well until that happened.

“When I got back it took time, but I finished the season well and hopefully I can kick on now and it’s onwards and upwards from here. This year, I would like to score more than I have ever before in a season. Getting us up the Guinness Premiership is the top, and quite honestly, only real target for me.”

Benjamin is hoping to continue his try-scoring exploits tonight as Worcester host Bath in the first game of a run of matches which will define Warriors’ season.

The academy product added: “The most important thing is us moving forward and getting a consistent run of form together. I simply can’t wait to get back out there and into the Guinness Premiership as the next few games are massive for us.

“If we win the next couple of home games, we are in a top half of the table battle, if we lose them we fall into a position which is a bit too familiar to us in the bottom half of the table. The season then takes a different focus and we must avoid that.

“We just want to win and put ourselves into a position when we can be focusing on the bigger prizes at the end of the season.

“Winning your home games is crucial and we always get such a good support at Sixways — we need to do that justice. We talk about having a fortress mentality and we need to step up and deliver it, we have got no excuses because everything is in place.

“Bath have had their problems this season, but that just goes to show what a competitive league we are in that they are at the wrong end.

“It shows that if you are a little bit off the pace then you will suffer for it. That is why they are where they are.”