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Rival fans take great delight that Saracens are set for the drop
Many people have taken great delight at seeing the exclusive RugbyPass story about Saracens staring down the barrel of automatic relegation – and they have good reason to.
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Ever since the revelation in November that Saracens had breached the salary cap over the past three years and were subsequently fined £5.36million and deducted 35 Gallagher Premiership points, there have been calls for harsher punishments for what many fans believe to be outright cheating.
The reigning European and English champions now have a matter of days to show that they are working within the salary cap for the current 2019/20 season or face expulsion from the league.
This has meant that some players are expected to be released in order to free up the wage bill. A number of names have already been rumoured to be on the way out, which includes Liam Williams whose return to the Scarlets may now be fast tracked.
This rather jubilant reaction from many opposing fans, who feel their clubs have been deprived of success during this period, was expected and is justified.
(Continue reading below…)
Saracens on brink of automatic relegation
However, many people have also looked at this from the perspective of the players and staff at Saracens who could be in danger of losing their jobs.
If players were to leave Saracens, either as a result of relegation or cutting costs, the bigger names will not suffer as they will be able to walk into any other team.
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The ones on the echelon below, however, along with staff members could be deprived of their livelihoods.
https://twitter.com/Nathann_09/status/1217923889751384064?s=20
Players were not cheating the cap. Nothing to do with players. players negotiate there own wages. And why should they not get a good salary after all there career is short. They put there body’s at risk week in week out for out entertainment. It’s club management that cheated
— Tony young ????????? (@tonyyoung68) January 17, 2020
I get the outrage but let’s temper the joy a touch. Innocent, decent people connected with the club will lose livelihoods as a result and that’s something no one should be pleased about. I’m a Sarries fan and this cheating, because that’s what it is now, is hard to accept ???
— Paul Richards (@chefrich1980) January 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/olipoints/status/1218176231775952898?s=20
I'm talking about all Saracens players and staff. The actions of a very few at the top have potentially impacted everyone at the club. Yes others other people outside Saracens have been impacted as well but either way its never nice to see anyone potentially lose their job.
— Overthehillprop (@Overthehillprop) January 17, 2020
I can’t get my head around the latest development at Saracens. Surely this was all known at the time of the last findings so why not give them the ultimatum then!! It’s the players I feel sorry for, this has huge implications for careers and will have widespread consequences
— Jim Allen (@Jim_Allen1983) January 17, 2020
Some people have also noted that the players would have been complicit in this and should therefore be held responsible as well.
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That is not a view held by everyone, though, as players would often go to whoever gives them the best offer, not only financially but from a playing perspective as well.
Said this should have happened from the start. Imagine if they’d stayed up at the expense of someone within the cap after being in breach for part of the season. Also still think the titles should be stripped, not given to Exeter as too many variables, but stripped from Sarries
— Oliver Gaudion (@olygaudion) January 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/VRyanReynolds/status/1217934034128470017
This has obviously been a reaction for indiscretions the club knew they were committing. One do wish to see though, that clubs throughout the rugby world are being policed like Saracens for the same reasons. Families lives and existence are at stake.
— Bart Schoeman (@bschoeman3) January 17, 2020
The players did not orchestrate this, but some could pay the price, particularly if they lose their job midway through the season.
While there is always the inherent risk that cuts will need to be made in the event of a team being relegated, this may be different from cases in the past and fans have spared a thought for the players.
WATCH: Jim Hamilton discusses all the news of the week in the latest episode of Don’t Mess With Jim
Comments on RugbyPass
Dear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
218 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
218 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
44 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
15 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
44 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
218 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
218 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
44 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
44 Go to comments