Kyle Sinckler 'in rugby heaven' ahead of Lions debut
Thursday 1 June 2017 22:41, UK
Lions superfan Kyle Sinckler says he is in "rugby heaven" as he prepares to make his debut this weekend.
Harlequins prop Sinckler is yet to start an England Test, but will make his Lions bow from the off in Saturday's tour opener against a Provincial Barbarians XV in Whangarei, live on Sky Sports.
The 24-year-old can recite a host of famed motivational Lions speeches from the past, and said: "I'm in rugby heaven at the moment.
"I've got Rory Best next to me who has 104 caps, I've got AWJ [Alun Wyn Jones] who, I think, has 102 (he has 110), Joe Marler, regarded as one of the best looseheads in the world, Sam Warburton, Taulupe Faletau. I'm just trying to learn off these guys and see what works and what doesn't.
"But there's a fine edge. If you get too over-emotional, too revved up, too psyched up, then you kind of forget your job, you get in little scuffles and you start over-thinking things. That comes with experience.
"I am just taking it all in and try and learn because these guys have 100-odd, 70-odd caps for a reason and that's where I want to be, so there's no greater place for me to be at the moment than learning off these world-class players."
Sinckler cannot wait for his Lions debut, especially after watching the tours of yesteryear and learning pre-match speeches off by heart.
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"This is our Everest!" he said, referencing Jim Telfer's famous speech from the South Africa tour of 1997.
"I think I've watched that about 100 times. The other players know that and they do ask me to do renditions of the Jim Telfers, the Paul O'Connells. I've watched it all.
"I've always been a fan and always will be, so it's just a massive honour to put on the jersey at the weekend, and hopefully I can leave it in a better place."
