Kyle Sinckler's riveting citing hearing evidence: Claims tackle was potential leg-breaker, accuses Exeter players of laughing at him
Bristol prop Kyle Sinckler has claimed he saw his career flash by before him when tackled by Luke Cowan-Dickie in the recent Gallagher Premiership match that led to the two-match ban for swearing at the referee which will sideline him from England selection for the opening round of the Guinness Six Nations championship.
The England tighthead, who felt the tackle was a potential leg breaker, also accused Exeter players of laughing at him and telling him to stop being a pussy followed his heated reaction during the January 9 league game at Sandy Park.
Having aggressively shouted “Are you f***ing serious? in the direction of referee Karl Dickson, Sinckler was given an on-pitch dressing down by the official and was cited post-match for failing to respect the authority of the match officials.
When the verdict was released on January 13 announcing that Sinckler would be banned for two games, the RFU media release was published without the short form judgment that usually accompanies the handing down of suspensions.
However, the ten-page document has now been published online on the RFU website and it makes for riveting reading, especially the testimony provided by Sinckler in response to the charge. Initial evidence from referee Dickson read: “Kyle was a ball carrier and Luke came into tackle him low. From where I was stood I deemed the tackle legal and said he had gone with two arms to wrap.
'World Rugby could obviously intervene as well, so Jones will be left with a conundrum.'
Kyle Sinckler has given Eddie Jones a massive selection headache – writes @AndyGoode10 ???https://t.co/AF38n9sa0W
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 16, 2021
“At that point, I heard Kyle say something but wasn’t entirely sure what he had said but knew he had used the word f***ing and wasn’t sure if it was being directed at me or another player. So when play stopped I made sure I told him if you shouted and used that kind of language again he would leave the field. Within two minutes of the incident, he apologised to me.”
Legal counsel for Sinckler, Sam Jones, then summarised the position of the player before Sinckler gave his evidence. Jones outlined:
1. The player and the club [Bristol] support the core values of rugby. They are proper principles and they have their proper place in the game. The player’s position as to what happened and the submissions on his behalf should not be seen as undermining those core values. The player holds them very dearly.
2. The player accepts there was ‘foul play’. It could and should have been sanctioned either by a penalty or a yellow card, a red card went too far [in his closing submissions to the panel, counsel for the player submitted that the conduct may not even have merited a yellow card].
3. The player did not seek to condone his behaviour. He had apologised on Twitter.
It was then the turn of Sinckler to say his piece to the three-person disciplinary panel consisting of Richard Whittam (chair), Becky Essex and Leon Lloyd. He apologised immediately apologised for his conduct, admitting he had let the public, particularly the kids watching, down and he had let rugby down. As he put it, “It was not a great look.”
The evidence continued: “After the game, he saw that there was a significant reaction on social media about his conduct. He said that he was deeply sorry and he wholly regretted his conduct, particularly to an official who he had played with for seven/eight years and who had helped him with his career.
“With regard to the incident itself, he described receiving the ball and the tackler coming in from his blindside where he could not see him. The player stepped off his left foot. He saw the Exeter No2 for a millisecond. He was diving at the player’s knees, he went to the ground and had difficulty presenting the ball.
Fear is that rugby is on slippery slope towards being like football in a very negative wayhttps://t.co/0wLsNwxrqX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 16, 2021
“He thought the tackle potentially could have broken his leg. It was an illegal tackle [no arms] and was found to be so by the referee on review. In a previous season, he had been tackled in a similar way and suffered an injury that ended his season. The player still has to deal with that injury today.
“In this instance, he could not brace for impact. That previous injury contributed to his reaction. His whole career flashed in front of him. He spoke of his pride in his England and British and Irish Lions caps. As soon as he hit the floor his concern was for his left leg and was scared for his safety.
“He was in shock after a tackle of that nature by someone he considered to be a good friend of his. The Exeter players were laughing at him, saying things to the effect of stop being a pussy. The pressure he was under amalgamated into one. He accepted that he was looking at the referee when he shouted.
“He was then summoned over by the referee. He said that he said to the referee that the Exeter No2 could have broken his leg. When shown that part of the video he explained that he had said that after he had turned and moved away from the referee, been guided back, and turned to leave.
“He had been angry. He was shaking his head because he disagreed with the whole incident. He thought the foul play by the Exeter No2 was plain to see. It was a combination of features. The tackle was penalised on review with the TMO. On reflection, he is not proud of his reaction.
"Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler are such great characters in the men’s game and it would be great if fans could really see that"
– @RachaelBurf12 ??? on why it is wrong for rugby to silence its characters unlike what happens in WWE or American football https://t.co/uRnwCxdNQh
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 19, 2021
“The reason he was walking away was that he had made great strides in trying to be a better player. He has been guided by his sports psychologist to ‘flush it’, ‘forget about it’ and move on. He apologised to the referee a few minutes later, saying he was sorry for what he had said. The player did not seek to condone the use of the language he had used.
“He cares about the values of the game. He has a foundation through which he encourages other young people to play rugby. Rugby is the only thing he has got. His own background was not to play rugby and young people have been encouraged to play rugby because of him. A lot of kids look up to him and he is deeply embarrassed about what he did.”
In their findings of fact, the panel said: “The player was frank in the account he gave to the panel. His passion for rugby and his pride in his achievements was obvious. That passion was reflected in the establishment of the foundation to encourage others who have not played rugby to do so.”
Outlining their reasons for selecting the entry point that resulted in Sinckler getting suspended for two weeks, the panel explained: “Although it was a deliberate act of disrespect to the referee it was not premeditated. It immediately followed the player being subjected to an act of foul play.
“It was a short outburst although the player walked away when spoken to by the referee. The offence was committed in a high profile game that was being broadcast on television. It wasn’t an overheard muttered complaint, it was an aggressive offensive expression of dissent shouted directly at the referee.
“The conduct of the player warranted a red card. The entry point was consistent with the entry point for similar misconduct at lower levels of the game.”
- The short form RFU disciplinary hearing judgment can be read in full (click here)
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments