Rugby Bristol haven’t seen the best of me yet, says Sinckler
ENGLAND prop Kyle Sinckler says he has 80 per cent more to give his new side Bristol Bears as he admits moving clubs has been harder than he anticipated.
Sinckler, who won his 38th England cap on Saturday in the 18-7 victory over Ireland in the Autumn Nations Cup, moved from his boyhood club Harlequins to Bristol Bears in July.
With the postponed 2019-20 season restarting in August, Sinckler helped Bristol to finish third in the league table and win the European Challenge Cup. Not bad for a man not firing on all guns.
Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has asked Sinckler to nail the nuts and bolts of being a prop rather than be the key strike runner and deft passer we have seen in the past, which the 27-year-old has done, but the front-rower is keen to display that X-factor he can bring when at his best.
Sinckler said: “If I am being honest with myself, I haven’t been at my best. I’d probably say I’ve been functioning at 20 per cent of my best at Bristol.
“It’s probably been hard for me more off the field and I think in the future I’ll reap the benefits of what I’ve done.
“Before I never really understood, when players sign and they move to clubs, why they’ve not hit form. I guess for me, my issues have been I had to move in the middle of lockdown and I haven’t seen my mum since June. I haven’t seen any family.
“I’ve obviously been in Bristol and basically we’ve been on our own little lockdown anyway because you can’t go out - if you get
coronavirus and bring it back to the team that’s not going to be good.
“It’s just been a big change and I think I appreciate everyone there that’s been massively patient with me and I’m just excited to get back some form.
“And then when I get back to Bristol, whenever that may be, I want to try to do the fans proud.
“It’s been a great lesson for me in terms of patience. Obviously at Bristol I want to get the ball and do my thing, but it’s a whole different system. I have to be patient.
“I’ve started from when I was at Quins and I’ve been there since I was 12 years old with a lot of credit in the bank. I’ve gone to Bristol and it’s like starting again from zero, and I can only give thanks to Pat
Lam and the coaches that have massively helped me.”
Sinckler played a key role for England at the weekend, making 20 tackles in the game in one of the most brutal defensive team displays at international level in recent years.
If Lam has been unhappy with Sinckler’s performances for Bristol he has kept it private, publicly backing his star summer signing to add to his three British & Irish Lions caps from the 2017 drawn Test series with New Zealand.
The Lions head to South Africa this summer to take on the World champions Springboks.
Last month, Lam said: “Kyle has been excellent, both on and off the field.
“Kyle had a lot of calf issues before he arrived and the medical staff picked it up early and put together a plan that he had to commit to and he hasn’t had any issues, which is great.
“He is in great nick and ready to go for England. He’s been superb for us.
“I have no doubt he will be a shining light for England, then through that will come back and play well for us and then put his name up for another Lions tour.”
Sinckler is in camp with England as they prepare to face Wales at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli on Saturday.
Club-mates Max Malins and Ben Earl are also in the squad preparing for the game.