Eight months out: Tom Croft
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Leicester flanker Tom Croft is edging closer to his comeback from injury according to director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
Croft was sidelined back in April due to a neck injury and has undergone a lengthy rehabilitation process, with Cockerill now hoping that the Lions flanker could face Gloucester on December 29th.
"Tom is probably a week away and that is good news for us," said Cockerill to the Leicester Mercury.
"It will be a slow integration and we will have to look after him. He hasn't played for eight months and we are conscious of that. His injury was a serious one and it's about him being confident when he comes back.
"Tom has seen the specialist and he was pretty happy with what he saw. We will get him back playing and that could be as early as Gloucester. We will just have to see because he hasn't played for so long. I don't normally get good news like that from physios!"
"Tom has put weight on and is looking in good shape, he is 110kg (17-and-a-half stones) now, whereas he has always been around 104kg (16-and-a-half stones) before.
"We feel that extra bulk will make him more robust. He actually looks like a rugby player now! It's just the healing of the bones that has to be right."
Comments
lawynd says...
@ArmchairGeneral - I'm not sure I agree with that, although I think I'm right in saying that Robshaw moves to 8 at Quins if Easter goes off. 8 is too specialist a position at scrums to have a part-timer playing there, especially against the best scrum-halves in the world; we saw how Haskell was fairly easily found out against Genia the last time he played there against Australia. Given that we need six back rowers as a minimum in a touring squad (depending on whether we pick locks like Lawes who can play there too), we should be aiming to have a minimum of nine in the EPS, three in roughly each position. For my money, that would be Tom Croft, James Haskell and George Kruis at blindside, Chris Robshaw, Tom Wood and Andy Saull at openside, and Ben Morgan, Billy Vunipola and Thomas Waldrom at 8.
Posted 10:55 21st December 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
One or two of Wood, Croft, Robshaw, Armitage need to get some games in at no8.
Croft with Ben Youngs / Robshaw with Care. Wood with Dickson. We need three of those four starting and ideally the other on the bench. Then England back row look pretty good on paper.
Posted 12:28 20th December 2012
doyley says...
Great news, will be interesting what happens from an England perspective though, I think Tom Wood is a Lancaster favourite so couldn't see him losing his place.
Posted 10:27 20th December 2012
lawynd says...
It'll be great to have him back for Leicester and England, especially if the latter retains Parling in the second row and Youngs at hooker; that'll be any lineout hiccups more or less sorted.
Posted 10:14 20th December 2012
melkdave says...
Great news for Leicester and England ,was begining to suspect he wouldnt play again this seaon.But he like BOD,R.Kearney,S.Ferris and other injured players ,needs a massive 6Ns and end of year performance if his to get on the plane to Australia .Times running out quickly for these players to make any kind of statment/ mark.
Posted 00:46 20th December 2012
NHsaints says...
great news, if he can hold his pace with that extra bulk then crickey...
Posted 22:07 19th December 2012
APV1 says...
Great news for England in the 6N and, potentially, the Lions. Not so good for Bath, when they meet Tigers again next year.
Posted 14:38 19th December 2012