Even hothead Marler told me I need to calm down!
Lions prop Sinckler on how team-mates helped him tame his anger
FIREBRAND prop Kyle Sinckler has revealed how a stern conversation about his temper put him on track for a Lions call-up.
The 24-year- old insisted he would never have made the tour if not for the advice of fellow Lion Joe Marler and other Harlequins team-mates Adam Jones and James Horwill.
Despite his lack of experience — Sinckler has not started a Test for England even though Eddie Jones ( right) called him up to tour Australia last year — he has become one of the Lions squad’s biggest characters and will start his second game against the Highlanders today.
He credits Marler, whose own disciplinary record includes a multitude of yellow and red cards as well as the infamous ‘gypsy boy’ insult aimed at Samson Lee, with prompting the change.
Sinckler said: ‘First, Joe Marler sat me down and just said, “you have got to stop it”. One thing I’ve never actually touched on was when we played Wasps away last year. I came on at half-time for Adam Jones and I was fuming, because we were playing so badly. I could have been sent off two or three times in that game. On the Monday after, James Horwill and Adam Jones told me, “You’ve got to stop it, because it’s all about you, that’s how it comes across”.
‘I was the one starting the fights that were costing the team, and they said, “Look, it’s bigger than you”.
‘I had to sit back and think — Adam Jones 95 caps for Wales, James Horwill Australia captain. Those guys have come out of their way to speak to me — and they didn’t have to.
‘They just said, “You’ve got a lot of talent but you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t sort out your image”.
‘I’m just grateful those guys went out of their way to talk to me because that flicked a switch. It helps too having Joe (Marler) always telling me off on the pitch —, telling me to shut up, among other things! It’s an ongoing
process with me. I want to play on the edge, I want to be physical, I want to be in people’s faces — but in the right way, and not to the detriment of the team.
‘I was lucky enough to go on tour to Australia with England last summer. Eddie Jones took a chance with me because I had only started two or three games for Quins that year.’
Sinckler has reformed his public image and now hopes to secure a place in the Test squad, but insists he will not tone down his rugged approach. ‘I played centre until I was 13 and got scouted by Harlequins because I was playing against the backs coach’s son. And I think I got sent off in that game as well. ‘In my first training session I ran off towards the backs but the coach caught me and said, “no, you’re a tighthead prop now”, and threw me in the deep end. ‘It’s one of the hardest positions to learn. It takes a long, long time to perfect your craft. ‘I’m still learning from my mistakes. You’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror and say there’s no point in doing those things, because it’s to the detriment of the team.’ Sinckler has timed this increasing self-awareness to perfection given the early fuss over scrummage officiating in New Zealand. The Crusaders were frustrated with scrum interpretation as the Lions ground out 12-3 win last Saturday, and the focus on the set-piece will only ramp up on tour from here on in. ‘As a tighthead prop setpiece is your No 1 job and everything else comes as a bonus,’ said Sinckler.