Leicester Tigers prop Dan Cole believes he may have to oust Welford Road cult figure Martin Castrogiovanni to keep alive his World Cup dream.

The 23-year-old, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top, says he is worried that playing second fiddle to Italy tight-head Castrogivanni, particularly for the big games, could harm his England chances.

With the World Cup in New Zealand just over a year away, Cole is keen to stay in the side and add to his seven caps, starting with the autumn internationals against New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Samoa.

Castrogivanni, whose beard, long hair and all-action style, has made him a Tigers legend in his four years at the club, starts tomorrow when Tigers launch their bid for a hat-trick of Premiership titles.

It means that Cole will have to try to make an impact off the bench against fierce rivals Northampton, who finished second in the regular season in 2009-10.

He said: "I have got to go out and prove myself in every training session, and every game for Leicester.

"You would anyway, but you have the added incentive of playing for your country.

"You have to raise your level up and beyond his game, which is up there with the best in the world.

"Cockers says he will pick the best player and, if we are pushing each other on and I improve and he improves, it's good for the club.

"It's the same at international level. There's me, Dave Wilson and Paul Doran-Jones at tight-head. If one plays better, we have got to raise our game, and so on."

Tigers give debuts to new boys George Skivington and Thomas Waldrom, and have borrowed Ed Slater, a 22-year-old lock/back-rower, from Nottingham for the game because of their second-row crisis. He is on the bench.