Analysis: The twenty minutes of baiting from Alun Wyn Jones that led to Kyle Sinckler's demise
Ahead on the scoreboard 10-3 in Cardiff, England looked in a comfortable position at half time against Wales in last year’s Six Nations.
What would transgress in the second half was a huge momentum swing in Wales favour off the back of a targeted period of off-the-ball incidents against England prop Kyle Sinckler, which led to multiple penalties and piggybacks for the home side.
Under the microscope, the ‘game-within-the-game’ between Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones and Sinckler was very much an influential part of this result.
From the second-half kickoff, Alun Wyn Jones’ pestering of Sinckler began immediately.
As Ben Youngs steadied to launch a box kick, Jones charges into Sinckler in a faux attempt to counter ruck, sending a high knee towards the prop.
Jones (5) is able to bail on the ruck just as quickly, retreating as part of Wales’ transition into attack, having successfully ‘poked’ England’s prop quickly and moved on.
Whilst retreating, Jones then makes sure to locate Sinckler, stopping in his path to block the prop before Sinckler, with a rush of blood, floors him with a shove in the back.
Sinckler’s reaction to Jones’ niggle was confirmation that the tactic could potentially work in Wales’ favour if persisted with.
Ahead of the match, Wales coach Warren Gatland called Sinckler an ‘emotional time bomb’, a sign that this was perhaps part of the game plan to get under his skin.
Jones’ reaction to the shove in the back certainly suggests so, as he immediately looks to Jaco Peyper and the touch judge to appeal instead of getting up and playing on.
Like a schoolyard pest, Jones continues the cycle of baiting Sinckler and politicking the teacher to deliver some sort of punishment.
Less than four minutes later, with Wales mauling inside their own 22, Jones swims around the outside to take out Sinckler.
Jones pushes the envelope, persisting until Sinckler trips backwards over a fallen teammate.
Jones gets his second reaction when the prop tries to bring the lock down with him.
The ‘niggle’ is beginning to agitate England’s prop.
Wales win a couple of penalties and begin to get some momentum in the match, exiting out of this zone before sending up a midfield bomb that spills into touch.
A fight for the ball over the sideline between Liam Williams and Manu Tuilagi sparks a push and shove between the two sides.
Guess who makes a beeline for Kyle Sinckler? Alun Wyn Jones.
Neither player is particularly close to the scuffle, but Sinckler (3) goes in to pull Liam Williams off his teammate, while Jones just goes straight for Sinckler to antagonize him.
Jones pushes Sinckler backwards while getting in his face, trying to incite some offence that would see England get punished.
He is not in any way interested in breaking up the Williams-Tuilagi scuffle, only focused on inciting something new with Sinckler and building up a perception that the Englishmen is a hothead.
This is hardly the actions of a role model captain but, rest assured, once the ref drags him for a chat the hands go behind the back, the head is bowed subserviently, the apologetic ‘sorry sir’ get issued and Jones is back to being a saint all again.
Jones is trying to paint the picture to the ref that he is the victim of Sinckler’s indiscretions when really it is just Sinckler’s retaliation to Jones’ incessant baiting.
The way Jones is able to carry on with the ref blind to the act is impressive but altogether petty nonsense.
In this day and age, the heckler has become the enforcer of the older era. Protected by the laws of the game, hecklers are rarely dished out any punishment without the opposition paying for it.
Off the last possession, Wales ended up with three points from the territory and edged closer, 10-6.
From England’s subsequent kick-off, Wales prepare to exit with a box kick. Jones is protecting the ruck and he is seen watching Sinckler like a hawk.
His head follows Sinckler across the ruck and the lock gets a third reaction out of him, Sinckler drives the shoulder into Jones after some verbal exchange.
The sideline official may have cautioned Sinckler as he is seen retreating with his hands in the air and with a wry smile.
Jones must know the fuse is lit and time is ticking until there will be some action that can be milked into a penalty and possible card.
A minute later, Jones protests to Peyper about something innocuous at the ruck before doing the exact same thing, driving into Sinckler from the side.
This seems to be a final straw that begins to unwind Sinckler.
20 seconds later, the England prop is penalised for a ‘late’ shot on Gareth Anscombe after a chip kick, which amounted to not much but was milked for all it was worth.
After the incident, the first man in Sinckler’s ear is none other than Alun Wyn Jones.
Wales kick for territory following the penalty and begin attacking in prime field position.
Alun Wyn Jones takes a carry into a two-man tackle involving Sinckler, where the tackle slips up after contact and catches him around the neck.
The ever-aware Jones is sure to make sure Peyper knows what’s going on, taking the time to physically point this out to the referee.
Wales received a penalty for the tackle, which was slotted to reduce England’s lead to 10-9. Sinckler was promptly substituted.
The narrative was spun that Sinckler lost control when the reality is the ref’s perception of Sinckler had became detached due to Jones’ artistry, painting a picture and then singing poetry in the ref’s ear whenever he could.
It wasn’t worth the risk to England leaving him out there to play the fool in Alun Wyn’s story any longer.
But in that twenty-minute period, Wales took control of the game and all but erased the first half lead England built.
“If I’m being honest, the Wales game taught me a lot,” Sinckler said six months later during the Rugby World Cup.
“I let the team down, I let my country down. If we had won that game we would have been Grand Slam champions. I had to look within and just work on that side of my game. Rugby is my canvas. I’ve always expressed myself through it, like my outlet.”
If Sinckler really expressed himself that day he would have clocked Jones in the jaw, but he didn’t – so kudos to Sinckler for maintaining control. He did fail to arrest the narrative and control the perception, which led to Wales gaining the upper hand but he didn’t do anything wrong.
This time around, England will have their Alun Wyn Jones-tonic, Maro Itoje, who wasn’t on the pitch last time. Itoje, an equally gifted agitator, will no doubt keep Jones’ hands full and keep Sinckler out of the way – for England’s sake.
Could this 19-year-old play for Wales this weekend against England:
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments