Tom Croft's best position - back row or second row?

[mol2]

He's a 6.

Sure he's a fine player at second row but playing there would mean bulking up to be powerful enough to play internationally which would reduce his speed & waste his greatest asset.

We used him in the second row because we had back row players fit & Croft had to plug the gap in the second row. The best compromise for the Tigers at the time.

[G.K]

Tom Croft will never be a world class 2nd row. However he is heading towards being world class at 6, if not there already. QED and no further debate required.

[ashtiger]

If we put him in the second row it's like having an extra man on the pitch.
Having a quick tight five that can actually run is a real advantage in open play.
Like we've got Ayerza, Castro and Croft are all good with the ball.

[dailywaffle]

A near unanimous vote for 6 over second row, and one that I don't necessarily disagree with. However, and if only to inject a bit of life into an open and shut thread, I would suggest that Croft isn't really a textbook blindside flanker at all. He is not a ball-carrier in the 'punching' sense, preferring to play wider and off the shoulder of someone else making the line-break, and he is not a natural clearer out of rucks. Nor is he fully developed defensively, although I am happy to concede that both his defensive work and his work at ruck-time have improved enormously over the last two seasons.

Croft is, IMO, a difficult player to categorise and indeed a difficult player to fit into a system. His natural inclination to play a wide and loose game can easily unbalance a backrow, and it may be more a question of deciding in which position he is least ineffective, if you take my meaning. None of which is meant to be at all derogatory; he was my advance pick on another site as 'breakthrough player of the year' (or somesuch) and he's pretty much lived up to that. So far he has avoided the fate of Chris Jones, a player he could easily have been compared with, and maybe we should just accept that the number on his back is largely irrelevant.

[POSTIGER]

would suggest that Croft isn't really a textbook blindside flanker at all. He is not a ball-carrier in the 'punching' sense, preferring to play wider and off the shoulder of someone else making the line-break, and he is not a natural clearer out of rucks. Nor is he fully developed defensively

That was what I was thinking when I started the thread DW. If we were to play with a 'text-book' blindside flanker then we would have Tom as an extra player so to speak. I think he could play in the second row without ahving to bulk up too much - his natural athleticism in the air would make him a match for any opposing lock IMHO. My thinking is that he would then be free to either join a ruck or play on the edge of the ruck as an extra back - thus making the most of his pace and strength.

[POSTIGER]

Or we could do a 'Nick Mallet' and play him at scrum half!

Poor old Mauro Bergamasco - I still can't believe NM tried that!

[vinniechan]

I'm always concerned about his ball carry ability to punch holes in defences. Steven Ferries is quick without the extreme pace of Croft, but he's a far stronger carrier.
I think Croft is, in nature an openside. He is omni present, which IMHO, is his greatest value. Spies, on a sprining track would probably beat Croft, but Croft is always there to do in tight and out wide.With that kind of pace, we couldn't care if he loses a bit in 4 years - he will still be one of the quickest forwards around and by then, his game reading will help. Think of Moody, whose game reading in my opinion is very under rated.

[smalldell]

I once said Lewis Moody would never make it on the openside!!!!!!!!

However, I do think Croft is already a very good international 6 and as long as his talents are exploited effectively and he adds a bit of variety to his game he will easily be the best in the world. I do not see him as a 7.

As for second row....yes against certain opposition, but 2 be international class and even top class in the HC or GP you need a bit of bulk and this would detract from TC's natural game.