Concussion has left prop Sinckler with ‘no memory of WC final’

ENGLAND prop Kyle Sinckler has no recollection of the Rugby World Cup final despite watching much of his side’s defeat by South Africa from the sidelines after being knocked unconscious in the opening moments.

Sinck ler was able to walk to t he r e pl a c e ment s b e nc h where he witnessed England fall to a def lating 32-12 defeat, but admitted t he a f fects of t he conc ussion mea ns he cannot remember the match a nd he has not watched it back since.

“It took three or four weeks to get over the final. It was dark,” Sinckler told the Press Association.

“I was struggling because I tore my ca l f just before t he semi-final, it was a prett y bad one as well so I couldn’t really walk.

“That was getting better and then in the final I got a pretty big concussion, so I didn’t really know what was going on.

“I can’t remember anything really from the final. They said I came back out, but I can’t remember that.”

The incident ended an outstanding World Cup for Sinckler, who scored his debut Test try in the quarter-final rout of Australia, and was one of the stars of a stunning victory over New Zealand in the last four.

“From what I heard South Africa played unbelievably well and were deserving winners on the day,” added Sinckler.

“When you look back at the World Cup you have a sense of pride to have gone so close, but our aim was to win and become world champions and we fell short of that.

“It’s bittersweet, but that’s sport and we’ve got to keep going. We’ll dust ourselves off and go again.”

It rema i ns to be seen i f Eddie Jones wi l l st i l l be i n charge of England come the next World Cup with his current contract up in 2021.

But Sinck ler is desperate for t he Austra lian to remain for as long as possible a f ter he gave him his chance at internationa l level.

“E d d i e ma d e me. He cha nged my life. To not see him as England coach whether I’m there or not would be prett y weird.”