Kyle Sinckler says Welsh targeting 'won't happen again' in new documentary

Kyle Sinckler has spoken about the dramatic moment he was taken off in the 2019 Six Nations match against Wales in a new ITV documentary, ahead of England’s Six Nations match against Wales.  

The England tighthead features in Kyle Sinckler – Strength Of Purpose, which airs on ITV4 on Monday 28th February at 9pm. The show is part of the Against The Odds series, produced by ITV and funded by Coral, which has also featured jockey Hollie Doyle, darts world champion Gerwyn Price and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel telling their stories.

As well as the Bristol Bears prop, the documentary features contributions from England head coach Eddie Jones, his Harlequins teammate and former coach Adam Jones, and his mother, Donna. Talking about being taken off by Eddie Jones after giving away two penalties in the Wales v England Six Nations match in 2019 he said: “Wales knew they could get under my skin and I cracked. It was one of the worst days in my career. There was so much regret.

“When I reflect on that moment in my career I deserved to experience that because all I wanted was the attention. I wanted that bad boy persona which was just a defence mechanism for me to be not seen as who I really am. The criticism was justified. I was an idiot, but I’ve made a decision for it not to happen again.”

He also talks about when he scored his first try for England in their quarter final victory against Australia in the 2019 Rugby World Cup: “I remember looking at Owen Farrell because we’d run that move in training and I’d always try and put myself in that spot. Then I just got the ball and thought oh my god I’m here. Don’t mess this up!”

He also speaks of the dramatic moment he was knocked out in the World Cup final against South Africa after he collided with teammate Maro Itoje: “I remember chasing a kick and then all of a sudden I’m in a room watching the game on TV. I felt awful. There’s nothing you could do, but you felt like you let the team down, you let the country down. I was a mess.

“It would have been easy for me to feel sorry for myself but there comes a point when you have to dust yourself off. Everything happens for a reason and I had to use this as motivation to get to that point again and win a World Cup for England.”

Sinckler also spoke about the lack of a father figure in his life and about his mother Donna’s support: “You can’t miss something you’ve never had. I literally have no idea who the bloke is, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me. “My mum would be working 12 hour shifts, coming home at 7am on a Sunday, but she would still find the time to take me to rugby. Not many people would do that.” Eddie Jones said: “He’s a spiritual leader in the team. When he’s playing well the team have a lot of confidence. The way he plays and carries himself means he can bring people with him.”

The ten-part Against The Odds documentary series aims to deliver a unique insight into some of the most inspiring stories focusing on some big names from the world of sport.

The sports stars featured in the series are individuals who have overcome personal adversity or have taken an unconventional route to rise to the top of their respective sports, defying the odds to achieve success. Each episode is fronted by leading members of ITV Sport’s presenting team, including Gabriel Clarke, Mark Pougatch, Ed Chamberlin, Francesca Cumani, Jacqui Oatley and Oli Bell.

Against The Odds is funded by Coral and developed by the7Stars content team, Supernova, with ITV Sport. The series runs from October 2021 until July 2022 on ITV4, ITV Hub and ITV’s main channel.

Future episodes will include fellow riders Guy Disney and Johnny Murtagh, plus a special programme ahead of the Cheltenham festival on the legendary grey racehorse, Desert Orchid, with further names to be announced. Each episode coincides with major sporting events including The Ashes, the FA Cup, the Six Nations and the Cheltenham Festival. Commercial creative output for the series, including idents and activation is being overseen by DRUM. As part of the partnership, Coral also receive a full activation package and both ITV and Coral are bringing the show to life across multiple platforms and integration into the real world off-screen. This includes additional behind the scenes footage on Coral’s platforms, in-store promotion and branding plus talent-signed merchandise for competitions.