EXCLUSIVE: Former England captain Moody hails Croft return and 'incredible' successor Robshaw

PUBLISHED: 10:11 EST, 9 March 2013 | UPDATED: 10:11 EST, 9 March 2013

Lewis Moody has lauded the talents of his former England and Leicester team-mate Tom Croft with the flanker set to return to international action having spent the best part of a year on the sidelines with a career-threatening neck injury.

The 27-year-old last played for England in the final game of last year's RBS Six Nations against Ireland before he was carried off on a stretcher playing for Leicester against Harlequins last April with an injury that nearly saw him paralysed.

But Croft played his first full 80 minutes since then in the Tigers' 40-18 win over Sale last weekend and England head coach Stuart Lancaster has responded to his impressive performance by naming him on the bench for Sunday's match against Italy at Twickenham.

Comeback kid: Croft is back in the England fold after recovering from a horror neck injury

Moody - who preceded Chris Robshaw as England captain before retiring in March of last year - praised both England and Leicester for the way in which they have eased the British and Irish Lion back into action.

'It's fantastic to see Tom Croft back, especially after the horrific injury that he suffered last season,' said Moody, who collected 71 England caps between 2001 and 2011 and was part of the 2003 World Cup-winning squad.

'It's to his credit that he has been able to get back and also to England and Leicester in the way that they managed him, allowing him to take his time and making sure that there wasn't pressure on him, which is a massive benefit with an injury to the neck.

'Psychologically it can be difficult, but he's had 20 minutes here, 40 minutes there, and at the weekend he was able to play 80 minutes with complete confidence in his body and have a great game.'

Moody needs no second invitation to heap praise upon Croft, who is widely regarded among the best in the world in his blindside position when fit and firing.

'He's such a great player,' Moody enthused. 'He offers so much at the lineout, in attack and in defence, he's an incredible athlete around the pitch in terms of kick-offs, high balls, linking with the backs.

'Last season the try he scored against France was remarkable, his pace makes him such an asset.'

All smiles: Croft has come in for special praise from the England head coach

Croft will be eased back into action from the bench against Italy but Moody admits he is excited at the prospect of the 6ft 5in forward eventually starting in the back row alongside Robshaw and versatile Northampton Saint Tom Wood.

Injuries to Croft and Wood have meant that Lancaster has never had all three available at the same time until now, but Moody feels that the trio should be united in the England starting XV before too long.

'If I had my back row he'd be starting at No 6 with Chris Robshaw at No 7 and Tom Wood at No 8. Ben Morgan is a great option at No 8 too when he's back.

'Wood and Croft are actually very similar individuals, I think Croft is more of an athlete, he's got more natural ability, but Tom (Wood) does a huge amount of work. He throws himself into his training, he's got a terrific work ethic.

'Those two would be brilliant in the same team together, but it's just a case of trying to find room for both of them.'

It's not just the two Toms who have impressed Moody. Manu Tuilagi's star continues to rise after scoring the match-winning try in England's last outing against France. The centre played on despite later needing 19 stitches in a gruesome ear wound and it is that, rather than the try, that impressed 'Mad Dog' Moody the most.

'He has continued in the vain of form that he had in the autumn where he played very well,' said Moody, no stranger to a bit of blood himself. 'He had a great game against New Zealand.

'He's been living off scraps in terms of the tries that he's picked up, but the one thing that really impressed me against France was the manner of his injury.

'He showed his team-mates that he's prepared to battle on no matter what and I think that shows a great team spirit - and a great set of balls to stay on there when half your ear is basically hanging off your head!'

Mean and Moody: The former England captain has heaped praise on his successor Robshaw (below)

While Tuilagi was praised for his 'balls' in Le Crunch, wing Chris Ashton has been accused of being lightweight after failing to tackle Wesley Fofana as the France centre ran on to score the game's opening try.

Having scored 15 tries in his first 17 Tests Ashton has now crossed just twice in 13 games since Lancaster took over, but Moody has sympathy for his former team-mate.

'I think it's difficult being a winger, it's like being a striker in football,' he said. 'You're expected to score goals and if you're not doing that then it's obvious that the spotlight comes on you.

'Chris burst into the team in such an enigmatic style, scoring some of those tries that he did with the swallow dives, or the 'Ash Splash' as it got labelled.

'He's having somewhat of a quiet year but I certainly do think he's still one of England's best wingers. I don't think that suddenly changes overnight because he's not scoring.'

One player who has changed perceptions is Robshaw. The Harlequin's leadership qualities were questioned after the autumn defeats to Australia and South Africa but he has come roaring back, making himself a leading contender for the Lions captaincy with a string of outstanding performances in the win over New Zealand and the three Six Nations victories this year.

'Chris has done a great job,' said Moody, who like Robshaw captained England from openside flanker. 'From what I hear in the changing room he is not a man of many words, he's not a great orator or anything like that, but what he does do is lead by example.

'He has earned the respect of his players by going out there week in week out and performing.

'Every time he has taken the pitch he seems to have won man of the match or near enough man of the match, which is an incredible achievement considering when he first took over people didn't rate him as international player, let alone a captain.

Ash splash: Ashton has had less of an impact this year having scored two tries in his past 13 matches

'I've been overjoyed by Chris's success, he dealt with the criticism during the autumn incredibly well and in the only way that he should have done, and that was by just sticking to his guns and playing incredibly well and proving people wrong.'

Robshaw's side are overwhelming favourites for Sunday's clash and Moody concurs: 'I believe that the first 20 minutes will be tight. As always against Italy I am sure there will be a large number of kicks, but I think in the second half and at the end of the first half England will start to break the line.

'I think Danny Care will be sniping from everywhere and when he gets in behind the defence that allows everyone else to flood through and I think we should see some good tries in the second half.

'I'd like to see England win by 20 to 25 points to give good confidence going into that Wales game.'

Assuming England do ease past the Azzurri, that would set up a Grand Slam match in Cardiff against a Welsh side who achieved that very feat last year.

Wales have come back strongly in their last two games against France and Italy having gone on a miserable losing streak that started in Australia last summer and continued right through to their loss against Ireland in the opening game of this year's Championship in Cardiff.

But despite Wales' mini-revival Moody is still backing England to secure their first Slam in 10 years. 'I don't think Wales are back to their best,' he said. 'I do definitely think England will be favourites.

'Having said that the Millennium Stadium is an incredibly tough place to go and play and having played in Grand Slam games I know how difficult they are to come by.

Final push: England remain on course for their first Grand Slam in 10 years

'History has proven how tough it is to go and win down in Wales, but what a great place it would be to

Whether this team can go on to emulate that side at the 2015 Rugby World Cup on these shores remains to be seen, but Moody thinks they can only get better.

'If they keep consistently performing at this level then there's no doubt that they can be as good as we were,' he said.

'I think the difficulty will be when the pressure comes on in the coming seasons and how they can maintain that form, because the World Cup is still two years away.

'Stuart and the guys are the right people to take them through to 2015 and keep them in the best shape so it's going to be an interesting few years and hopefully they can go on and emulate the 2003 side.'

Lewis Moody was speaking on behalf of The LV= Cup: watch the next generation break through. For LV= Cup tickets and info, visit www.LV.com/rugby