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'He said 20 per cent and I said, Wow' - Lam reacts to Sinckler's Bristol 'struggle' claim
Pat Lam has reacted to the claim by Kyle Sinckler that he has only been “functioning at 20 per cent of my best at Bristol” since his summer Gallagher Premiership move away from Harlequins. Currently in England camp, the tighthead explained that settling in had been difficult as he was unable to see his family and was restricted in getting to know his new surroundings due to the lockdown.
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“I guess for me, my issues have been I had to move in the middle of lockdown and I haven’t seen my mum since June. I haven’t seen any family,” said Sinckler about Bristol at the start of the week. “I’ve been in Bristol and basically we have been on our own little lockdown because you can’t go out – if you get coronavirus and bring it back to the team that is not going to be good.
“It’s just been a big change and I appreciate everyone there that has been massively patient with me. I’m just excited to get back some form (with England) and then when I get back to Bristol, whenever that may be, I want to try and do the fans proud.
“I’ve gone to Bristol and it’s like starting again from zero. I can only give thanks to Pat Lam and the coaches that have massively helped me.”
Lam has now reacted to the Sinckler revelation, suggesting it was positive that the prop had still been so influential at Bristol despite only operating at limited capacity. “That’s pretty exciting because I have been pretty happy with what he has done,” said the Bears coach on Wednesday.
“Before I never really understood, when players sign and they move to clubs, why they’ve not hit form."https://t.co/iFsoXAnW2N
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“I know that he could be better but he said 20 per cent and I said, ‘Wow’. Kyle is great. I’m really pleased for him. He has fitted in so well here, he’s a great guy and the guys love him here too. He’s been great. He has been getting better and better as he goes, in international rugby as well. He came through and started the (Challenge Cup) final for us and was superb. But that is Kyle. He knows he is always pushing. He’s such a quality professional.
“Every part of his game he is trying to improve on and off the field, it’s all about getting better. It always is tough for people (moving). Well, covid has been tough for everybody but certainly changing and transition, I’m just glad that he is enjoying himself here and I’m also pleased that he feels he can get better. But in reality, it doesn’t surprise me because that is Kyle, he always wants to get better every day.”
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It was unusual for a player to be so publicly candid about what they felt was a shortcoming, but Lam has taken great encouragement from Sinckler’s confidence to speak out about his settling-in issues, hoping it can prompt other players at the club and elsewhere to go and seek help whenever they are having any kind of problem rather than bottle it up and struggle even more.
“No rugby player is the same, no person is the same,” continued Lam. “The most important thing is we talk about self-awareness. Great teams have players who are self-aware, they acknowledge the good things but more importantly, they realise I need to better here so I need some help, whether that is on the field or off.
“The other thing that is really important is (being) socially aware. We are not all from Bristol, we’re not all from England, we’re not all white, we’re not all black, we’re not all brown. We are all individuals and as I said to the boys what we are living here, we are a great example of how the world can be a better place.
“I have said look at all the backgrounds we have here, look at all the different educations that people have had, no one really cares because ultimately it is about respecting, appreciating and valuing everyone and I love it. No individual will truly be their best if they don’t feel they belong. That is a big part of what we do because the boys won’t be able to play the way they do and more importantly we can’t be honest (if they can’t be themselves).
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“Because it was pretty honest in the review session yesterday (Tuesday, after Sunday’s loss at Wasps). I came pretty hard at some players. They knew I was going to come but also before I did that I acknowledged all the unbelievable good work that we did in that Wasps game and then I came hard because you’re not going to learn if I’m not honest with them.”
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'They were backing me through that whole situation in terms of what happened at Worcester.'@SPiutau on @BristolBears , Pasifika players, his brother and that Worcester incident, with @heagneyl ??? https://t.co/fodTDPBGTo
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 22, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments