Kyle Sinckler believes that his use of snus affected his performances for England and played a part in his eventual exit from Steve Borthwick’s squad following the Rugby World Cup.
Join the RUCK’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
The prop, who has departed Bristol Bears for Toulon, fell out of favour following the 2023 Rugby Wold Cup with Borthwick seemingly blacklisting the once prominent forward.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, he said: “There was loads of other things that were happening behind the scenes, loads of habits that I was doing that were not conducive to being a world-class athlete, that kind of all came out after.”
Asked to elaborate, Sinckler said that he started taking snus as a younger player when he was losing weight, and that the smokeless tobacco product helped to suppress his appetite.
He revealed the product was “very addictive” and “not good for your performance”, before admitting that it contradicted his work being a role model on social media.
“In terms of like where I want to be and the person, the man I want to become, I can’t be saying one thing on the socials and putting out a message like that. And then behind closed doors, I’m acting like a victim, the world’s against me and I’m doing snus,” Sinckler added.
“The whole thing is just… it doesn’t work like that, you know? So it’s like at the end of the day, I’ve reaped what I sowed, you know?”
Steve Borthwick’s first England call-up wants to quit and play for Six Nations rival
In his relatively short tenure of just 14 months as England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick has already faced disappointment as several of his selections have failed to make the desired impact.
Moreover, there’s already talk of one player contemplating a switch to represent another nation.
#3. Joe Cokanasiga
Next summer marks seven years since Joe Cokanasiga received his initial call-up to the England squad, an auspicious moment for the gifted teenager whose potential drew comparisons to the legendary Jonah Lomu.
Despite the high hopes surrounding him, Cokanasiga’s journey to becoming a formidable international force has encountered obstacles. With just 14 caps earned over five years, he has yet to fully realize his potential on the international stage. However, his consistent presence within the squad under the tenures of both Eddie Jones and now Steve Borthwick underscores his value as a unique talent, even if his appearances have been infrequent.
Excitement surged among fans when Cokanasiga was recalled ahead of the Rugby World Cup; however, his performance against Wales in a warm-up match failed to leave a significant mark, resulting in his omission from the tournament squad.
Though the 26-year-old has since showcased his prowess for Bath this season, earning praise for his disruptive play, he has yet to receive a recall from Borthwick.
Following his exclusion from the World Cup squad, national head coach Borthwick outlined areas for improvement to Cokanasiga, motivating the Fijian-born player to redouble his efforts.
Verdict: Time is running out