'If you commit a robbery in the UK you get a rollocking. You may go to prison for six months' - Sale coach Diamond calls for harsher Saracens punishment
Sale boss Steve Diamond has accused Saracens of being naive for believing they could sidestep salary cap regulations and says they should “take down the integrity and honesty signs” from their Allianz Park home for a year.
Saracens were handed a 35-point deduction in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and fined £5.36million on Tuesday for breaching salary cap regulations.
Both sanctions will be suspended while the English and European champions – who described the action as “heavy-handed” – appeal against them.
Saracens, who return to Premiership action at Gloucester on Saturday, risked another financial penalty on Wednesday by failing to turn up for the 2019-20 season launch of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup in Cardiff.
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“It’s a bit naive to think they can get away with it with the processes in place,” Sharks director of rugby Diamond said following the financial findings which apply to the last three seasons.
“If you commit a robbery in the UK you get a rollocking. You may go to prison for six months.
“If you commit two in the same year and the year after and another one the third year, the judge has to say ‘listen there’s a habitual offender here’.
“If you don’t give him a substantial penalty he’s going to keep doing it. I think that’s what they’ve done.
“You’ve got to stop them doing it and we can’t keep letting inflation go through the roof.”
Diamond spent over two years in charge of Saracens before being sacked in February 2006.
He says he has taken Sale into European competition in four out of eight seasons on “50 percent of what Saracens have”, and with 34 players in his squad compared to 48 in others.
“There’s got to be a punishment to make them stop doing it. And it’s not about them and us – the other 11 clubs pointing the cross-hairs at them.
“It’s for the good of the game because if it’s not stopped the game will bankrupt itself.
“If they have got it wrong you face the music, take your medicine and get on with it.
“What they’ve done in the past is done and maybe they should take down the integrity and honesty signs from the stadium for a year.”
Diamond insists, however, that the episode will not cause lasting damage to English rugby.
“We’ve got CVC (Capital Partners), the investors, which will help the sport grow with broadcasting rights,” Diamond said.
“I don’t think what’s happened will be a stain on that. These huge capitalists don’t buy into businesses that are run corruptly.
“The sport will grow with England making the World Cup final.”
The Champions Cup launch:
Comments on RugbyPass
The 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.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
40 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
40 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
40 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
40 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
40 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
40 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
40 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments