BT Sport pundit Ugo Monye was left fighting back the tears as he paid tribute to former team-mate Kyle Sinckler, following the England prop's shock omission from the upcoming Lions tour of South Africa.
Sinckler, one of several big omissions from Warren Gatland's 37-man squad, admitted he had been through an 'emotional week' after learning he was to miss out on the tour, but insisted he was eager to set an example and not "throw the toys out of the pram".
The 28-year-old, who toured New Zealand with the Lions four years ago, subsequently produced a man-of-the-match showing for Bristol Bears during an impressive 40-20 win over Premiership rivals Bath at the Recreation Ground on Saturday, in a performance that will perhaps bring Gatland's decision into sharper focus.
After struggling to hold back the tears himself in his post-match interview on BT, Sinckler's former Harlequins team-mate Monye was also visibly emotional when asked to sum up the England prop's response to Gatland's decision.
"I don't even know why I'm emotional," said Monye.
"Playing for the Lions is huge. I'm so pleased for everybody else that has been selected. Equally, I don't think I've seen Kyle like that because he's probably never hurt like that before."
Sinckler has already praised the level of support shown to him over the last few days, with Bristol director Pat Lam later admitting that much of the Bristol dressing room was left stunned by his omission.
"He's been awesome," he told BT Sport following the game.
"We were all in a team meeting when it all happened. As soon as the meeting finished, everyone looked at their phones, and everyone went 'Jeez, Sinks isn't there'.
"He was ready to go, doing the warm-up. He came straight over - we had a hug, and he just said, 'It's all good. I'm going to use it for good'. I said, 'Mate, we're right behind you'. Then he was just wonderful at training. This whole week, he's been great.
"That's exactly what I was talking about before about inspiring people. That's what he does. He just feels real comfortable in the place. He's been a real asset.
"The reason why it's a shock is because every single person had him in their team. We know what he can do. He keeps playing well, you never know what is going to happen. He could be on that plane.
"The way that he has responded shows the true mark of the man. We're blessed to have him in our team. He will bounce back."
