Croft scored two second-half tries to help turn Sunday’s game around and give Tigers a dramatic late win that moved them into the Guinness Premiership top four.
Tigers had trailed Bath 22-9 with just 14 minutes remaining before Croft’s brace and a drop goal and conversion from fly-half Derick Hougaard sealed the win in front of a sold-out Welford Road.
Croft said: “It’s a good start to the year. We knew that January was going to be a massive month with four huge games. If we had lost it would have put us on the back foot so to get a win against the team who were league leaders at the turn of the year is a massive result.
“We have started the New Year off with a good win against a great side and now look forward to the next game against Northampton.”
The England flanker said his tries, which took his tally for the season to five in all competitions, were down to the efforts of his teammates.
For his first try Croft collected the ball from Craig Newby before burrowing over next to a ruck while his second saw him finish off a 13-phase move on the right.
Croft said: “It’s testament to the team. A lot of hard work went into both of the tries. I owe them to the team.”
He added: “It showed that there is a lot of character and grit and determination in the team.”
