Leicester Jordan Crane looking for Leicester Tigers and England place
Crane, 26, has been sidelined for 12 months following knee realignment surgery, but is now looking forward to his first game since leading England Saxons to Churchill Cup victory last June.
“I’m back training and raring to go. I just can’t wait to play,” Crane told TRP. “I haven’t pushed myself too hard because I know how serious the injury was. But I’ve had my mind set on August 11 – Jersey away in our first pre-season game – for a while.”
Crane’s degenerative knee injury, caused by too much punishment from such a young age – “something had to give,” he says – threatened to ruin a career that looked set for full England honours.
With his former Leeds academy coach, Stuart Lancaster, in charge of the national team, that aim is still attainable.
But Crane knows he must win his Tigers place back first and play consistently well to oust either Ben Morgan or club-mate Waldrom.
“Thomas has gone well at Leicester but he hasn’t had too much competition. Hopefully me being back will bring the best out of both of us,” said Crane. “My one goal is to get back to where I was ahead of Thomas and in the Leicester team.
“I do know Stuart well and if England comes on the back of my performances for Leicester then great, if not I’ll do the best I can for the club.”
For self-confessed rugby addict Crane the chance to play again, at whatever level, is a bonus. “It’s been a tough period – as anyone who has been out of rugby for any length of time with an injury will tell you,” he said.
“But I had to have the operation otherwise I knew I might never play again. It was an easy decision.
“My knee had been troubling me, but I thought it would be okay after a few weeks of down-time following the Saxons tour.
“But when I got back to training my knee kept swelling up and I was having to have it drained twice a week.
“Touch wood, the operation has been successful, and I can now get back on with the rest of my career.”
“I’m really happy with the way the club has supported me and I’m hoping to repay them with some good performances.”
Crane and, in his absence, Waldrom, have been the two best ball-carrying No.8s over the last four years.
And Crane is confident his enforced mid-career break may have actually improved his game. Talking at the launch of the new Tigers away shirt at John Lewis, Crane added: “It’s given me a chance to remould myself. I’m doing leg weights for the first time in three years and in a way I think I’m coming back stronger and fitter.
“Having played in the Premiership since I was 18 I suppose it was always going to takes its toll at some point. I’m just hoping the bad luck I’ve had is now behind me.”
Crane’s days as a water boy are certainly that, although he can at least bow out of the “fetching and carrying” role with head held high.
“We never lost a game from the semi-final win at Bath in the LV= Cup to the Premiership final – nine games – when I was the water boy,” he said.”
JON NEWCOMBE
