Croft earns his second start under Marcelo Loffreda’s leadership for the trip to Edgeley Park, with the young back row keen to make a positive impression.
“I’ve been on the fringes for the last couple of weeks,” says Croft. “I’m looking forward to getting another start and, hopefully, putting my case forward to make selection a little bit harder for the coaches.
“He’s (Loffreda) come in and probably not seen that much of the younger players. When you’re given a chance, you’ve got to show that you’re capable of doing the job you’ve been given and making him want to pick you again and again.”
Croft certainly showed his capabilities in the same fixture last season, as he helped Tigers to a superb 26-25 victory in early April. The 22-year-old, who has six first-team appearances under his belt so far in 2007/08, scored a crucial try and was visible all over the pitch as Tigers entered the final stretch of their triumphant Premiership campaign.
“We turned up last year and hadn’t won there for many years so it was a great experience and one of the games that you remember. They’ve got a lot of big players and it’s a good challenge to play against high-class players. It’s these sort of games where, if you stand out, it puts your name a little bit higher when it comes to rankings in the country.”
