Timebomb Kyle can’t explode in Cardiff inferno

NOBODY ever called me an “emotional timebomb”, as Warren Gatland has labelled Kyle Sinckler.

But I too had my breaking point where I would lose my cool and require help to calm down and refocus.

In my case usually, it was me not being quite able to cope with what the referee was doing. I’d lose my temper, my gumshield would come out and I would start expressing my views. It was probably a bit of the footballer in me.

So my team came up with a strategy for me that involved a trigger word Matt Dawson would yell, at which point I had to put my gumshield back in my mouth, stop talking and refocus. It was non-negotiable.

It was the point at which they felt I had become a liability to the team, even though I would assert that I was always right! Daws would say ‘Gumshield’, I would reply, ‘oh for God’s sake!’ – then do as I was told. In such an emotional and physical sport we all sail close to the wind. Kyle

(right) sails a little closer than most.

In the autumn he was overheard sledging the Aussies for being “snitches” in apparent reference to senior Wallabies having reported two of their own for breaching team protocol.

Against Ireland there was a flashpoint between him and Peter O’Mahony and against France he was lectured on “rugby values” after slapping an opponent on the head.

Kyle is a superb player. You don’t become England and Lions tighthead prop without learning about yourself and about the game.

He can scrummage, he can make a break and run with the ball. He has acceleration and lateral movement and the heft required to make a little bit of space where there isn’t much. Which makes him particularly valuable.

But he is chippy, he does come with a side order of edge. And England need a mechanism to support him. Gatland says there’s a challenge with his temperament which other players are aware of. “Emotionally, Kyle can be a bit of a timebomb”, was how he put it.

Which is why I would be amazed if England don’t have a strategy in place to deal with one of their own going off script – before it happens. Management of the team personality is a team thing and a vital one as players have different boiling points.

I take the quality of England’s rugby to win them a tight contest. But first they must pass the test of their temperament.