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French clubs want action taken at European level against Saracens
Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti believes steps must be taken in Europe to sanction clubs like Saracens who break their domestic league salary cap rules.
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As revealed by RugbyPass on Thursday night, an automatic drop to the second tier of English rugby is on cards for 2020/21 due to the London club’s inability to show they are operating under the £7million cap this season.
This is a charge they were found guilty of for the last three seasons, leading to a 35-point reduction and £5.4m fine.
French clubs have a higher salary cap within the Top 14 than the £7million limit that Saracens have broken, but the Parisian club boss wants sanctions for salary cap-bursting offenders to be extended into Europe
Interviewed by Midi Olympique, the bi-weekly French rugby newspaper, ahead of Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup meeting between the clubs at Allianz Park, Lorenzetti said: “On the initiative of Clermont’s Eric de Cromieres, we will also review European regulations so that the sanction produced in a country can be extended to continental competitions. This should be effective within two years.
(Continue reading below…)
Saracens on brink of automatic relegation
“The eleven English clubs having seen Saracens sanctioned, but 19 European clubs have been fighting for ten years with Sarries to win the European Cup… it is, therefore, a problem that must be resolved,” he said, dismissing the €3million difference between the Top 14 and the Premiership salary cap limit.
“The marquee player rule allows English clubs to have more room for manoeuvre. In the end, the gap between us is tiny,” insisted Lorenzetti, who did admit that he also wants tighter policing of the French league’s own salary cap.
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“The league is trying to put in place a system for gathering evidence but we are less pragmatic than our British friends, for sure. The subject deserves to be deepened.”
The Saracens story just keeps on giving!https://t.co/a9gJIFdMG6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 17, 2020
Asked if he would be interested in signing any Saracens players for next season, Lorenzetti responded that they are too expensive.
Amid the fall-out in London, it has been claimed that the club’s leading players could opt to join French clubs in the Top14 for one season as England have a clause which allows head coach Eddie Jones to pick players in exceptional circumstances – and the current crisis certainly satisfies that criteria.
Saracens have remembered they have a huge European match to play this weekend https://t.co/CMTDjjsQ2x
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 17, 2020
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However, Racing boss Lorenzetti has no interested in getting any of them on his books in France. “No. First, these players are overpriced. It took me ten years to balance the accounts. Racing is not going to put me in the red on a whim.
“And then, these rugby players will never arrive on the French market because they will always favour their national team to which they would no longer have access in the event of an exodus.”
WATCH: Jim Hamilton discusses all the news of the week in the latest episode of Don’t Mess With Jim
Comments on RugbyPass
Good decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
5 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
29 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
5 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
5 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
9 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
5 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
29 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
9 Go to commentsWowee!
9 Go to commentsEvery team that has played a game in Africa this Champions Cup season is already out of the competition - including the SA teams. Could be a concidence.
30 Go to commentsthat should offer some experiences for Jordie.
9 Go to commentsJust remember: He is not a winger. Took Ian Foster 2 years to figure that out.
9 Go to commentsExcellent article, Nick. We (your RP colleague Brett McKay and my 8/9 Combo cohost), are going to have LSL on our podcast later this month. He has shown consistent excellence as a leader and lock. I’ll chat with you offline about a line of questioning if you have time. H
29 Go to commentsSo no Irish fan or journalist suggested JGP was as good as DuPont. Then even the guy who supposedly did is from Wales and said JGP would be the best around if it was t for DuPont. Right, so what is this story about again
19 Go to commentsGreat news for the URC. Leinster will always attract top talent. Another huge name added to their stable
9 Go to comments