The extradordinary roll of the dice Mark McCall must make with his Saracens academy
After being found guilty of salary cap infractions that have left the club with a 35-league point deduction and a £5.3m fine, you could forgive Saracens fans for looking on the burgeoning 2019/20 season with a level of despondency.
The club have announced their intention to appeal the decision, citing the fact that the independent panel who made the decision acknowledged that Saracens did not deliberately attempt to breach the salary cap. In an official statement, Saracens confirmed that they, in error, had failed to disclose some transactions to Premier Rugby Limited, but that there was also precedent in PRL where co-investments have not been deemed part of salary in the regulations.
Until the appeal is concluded, the sanctions administered will not count against Saracens and, per the club’s statement, they will not be required to sell players, nor will the outcome of the investigation prevent the club from signing new players. Even if the club are successful in their appeal, it is unlikely the spectre of these sanctions is set to go away anytime soon and that, though Saracens fans may disagree, adds an intriguing and compelling subplot to the current Gallagher Premiership and European seasons.
You would have to go back to the 2008/09 season for a 35-point deduction to be enough to see Saracens relegated, when the club finished 30 points above 12th placed Bristol. Since then, Saracens have established a dynasty that has perennially seen them compete at the top of the table rather than the mid-table obscurity of the 2000’s, and although that dynasty is tarnished by the findings of the independent investigation, it has not diminished Saracens’ enviously deep and talented squad.
There is every reason to think that Saracens will be able to dig themselves out of this hole, assuming the appeal is unsuccessful, and avoid relegation from the top tier. There are some factors working against them, though, including the improved competitiveness at the bottom of the league, something which has not always been true over the past decade, and that the club are having to manage a large proportion of their squad’s workload after a busy Rugby World Cup campaign.
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Watch: Saracens star Owen Farrell speaks to the press following the Rugby World Cup final
Even when you factor in London Irish’s spending spree this summer, Worcester Warriors’ incremental improvements in recent seasons and the likes of Leicester Tigers, Wasps and Bath all potentially being sucked into a relegation battle, Saracens would still be a long way from the favourites for the drop. It does create an interesting dilemma, however.
Had the deduction been enforced last season, Saracens would have dropped to 43 points and finished 10th, two points clear of Leicester and 10 points clear of Newcastle Falcons. In that season, when their sizable England contingent didn’t have to deal with a Rugby World Cup campaign that stretched all the way to the final, they wouldn’t have qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup (via league position).
Even if they have a sublimely successful regular season in the Premiership over the next seven months, there’s a good chance that the 35-point deduction would see them miss out on qualification for the top tier of European rugby in the 2020/21 season. Their best shot at qualifying may be to aim for a fourth Champions Cup title and secure their place in next season’s competition as defending champions. If they attempt to do that, it will have serious repercussions in their allocation of playing time this season.
Going on the last four years, Saracens should be safe. #GallagherPremiership #Saracens pic.twitter.com/defiOhwOSp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Saracens cannot play their front-liners, many of whom were involved in the Rugby World Cup, in every game. They have to prioritise the league or European competition. Conservatively, you would say this is no dilemma. You commit your stars to domestic action, ensure your survival in the Premiership and then anything else that comes your way is a bonus.
But then you have Saracens’ famed depth and academy production line, the latter of which this writer has extolled the virtues of for years and years. Can you rely on those players, interspersed with Saracens’ veterans and internationals at different points over the course of the season, to do enough to avoid the drop, whilst you go hammer and tongs in Europe? It’s a calculated risk.
As damaging as these findings have been to the Premiership from an integrity standpoint, they only add interest and intrigue to the current season. How good, when put under enormous pressure and expectation, really is Saracens’ academy production line? These guys don’t have the comfort of coming into a team that’s flying high at the top of the table, competing on multiple fronts or into a side where a mistake here or there is, outside of the knockout rounds of domestic or European competition, not going to derail an entire season.
They’ve been doing reasonably well so far, as Saracens have picked up two wins from their opening three games, with the likes of Ben Earl, Nick Isiekwe, Rotimi Segun and Matt Gallagher looking like veteran leaders in the starting XV. Manu Vunipola has shouldered the responsibilities of a much more mature fly-half in just his second professional season, Ralph Adams-Hale might be making the leap at loosehead and Kapeli Pifeleti, a former academy product, has returned from a stint in the US with San Diego Legion. There’s Andy Christie, Sean Reffell and the seemingly Northampton-bound Joel Kpoku, too, all of whom can impress upon watching fans just how pro-ready the Saracens academy develops its players to be.
The senior stalwarts, such as Nick Tompkins, Alex Lozowski, Will Skelton and Jackson Wray, have all stepped up and their influence this season cannot be underestimated. They won’t be on a countdown like the internationals who were involved at the Rugby World Cup will be and the club will need them to stay fit. Getting the likes of Alex Goode, Brad Barritt and Michael Rhodes back from injury and firing on all cylinders will be key, too.
How Mark McCall and the rest of his coaching staff approach the remainder of this season is one of the more fascinating things to happen in the top tier of English rugby for quite some time.
A number of players might lose out when Saracens are forced to balance the books following the PRL's salary cap investigation https://t.co/3FvzQOQBwD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Saracens have walked the walk to back up the talk in regard to their commitment to their academy and the production of players for their senior squad, although never before have they been exposed to this sort potentially negative outcome. They have the highest percentage in the Premiership of their squad to have come from their own junior academy and that deserves praise, even if they have been in a fortuitous position in recent years to do so.
It was not that long ago that a young quintet of Joe Launchbury, Elliot Daly, Christian Wade, Billy Vunipola and Sam Jones played their parts in rescuing an administration-threatened London Wasps side from relegation and though this Saracens side is in far better shape than the former High Wycombe-based club were, the 35-point deduction is a fairly substantial leveller. Of course, that Wasps side weren’t competing in Europe’s premier competition and attempting to secure their fourth Champions Cup title, either.
Saracens’ youngsters’ performances on the field, integration into the senior set-up and seamless step ups in quality have thrived in the harmony of recent years. Now, with adversity all around, will they be able to rise to the fore once more?
Watch: Rassie Erasmus reveals that he nearly quit the Springboks after a run of poor results
Comments on RugbyPass
Hi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
79 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
1 Go to commentsI’d be fascinated to see what other candidates you all might have for the Lions captaincy role. Let me know, below 👍
1 Go to comments“ planning for the next cycle….” Sigh ill-advised language Elton old juice bean. Ppersonally glad you self-eliminated yourself, there were better players in the position around you.
3 Go to commentsRegardless of best in world etc. Lawes was outstanding against Leinster and has been all season. Looked like three try saving turnovers. His turnovers also contributed to NH scores. Immense performance.
2 Go to commentsDickson now considered the top ref in England it appears. Good that these series are getting one NH and one SH ref.
2 Go to commentsI don’t think any coach or selector would ever rely on Blackadder being available for selection. I didn’t think it would be possible but he has easily eclipsed Ennor as they most injured player of all time. IMO a symptom of today’s game where players are required to carry at least 10kg of extra mass from when they first hit the scene in their early 20s. Some players respond well to this, maybe due to genetics allowing them to recover faster, or not having reached their peak natural weight yet, but for others the constant training to maintain their weight eats away at recovery time and they spend most of their careers injured.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the lesson Nick! I presume that targeting gaps is situational because if a ball carrier straightens the line they can't be allowed a gap to run into? It feels like you need depth if you're going to pass it wide and plenty of variety - straight running, kicks just in behind, cross kicks etc. BTW what an incredible bench Toulouse had this week. People complain about Leinster being stacked but they need to be at the very highest level.
19 Go to comments2015 was by far the best team. They have had many good backlines over the years but the 2015 team was one of the few to have an absolute world class forward pack - all of them international quality. 6 ABs, 1 future English player, and one that would have gone on to ABs had he not been forced to retire due to concussion. This current team doesn’t have the same size and experience at lock, but providing they can keep this many talented young players (who have all significantly increased their profile this year) together for another 2 years they could eclipse the 2015 team.
2 Go to commentsAnd I’ve just seen RA has topped up the offer to Paisami and extended it beyond 3 years and he’s signed. Great news
79 Go to commentsInteresting watching Amaua starting to fire. No idea why he was pulled so early against the Reds.
4 Go to commentsNice to read something positive about Vunivalu; it doesn’t happen often. I despair for rugby in Oz. Unless some form of compensation for the teams producing players is devised, there is no obvious way for us to combat poachers coming to grab players in their prime with bigger pay cheques. A return to the SR crowds we were getting in 2010-2014 and a quadrupling of the TV deal would be a start but I don’t see how those things happen. Perhaps the government could be encouraged to deliver tax breaks like in Ireland?
79 Go to commentsI wasn’t aware that the blitz targeted space so, as usual, something learned from reading one of your articles, Nick. Watching the game live I attributed the Saints’ inaccuracy to their own mistakes and nerves. Perhaps some credit to the Leinster D.
19 Go to commentsGotta give it to you Graham, you support your players and team to the hilt. There may be strains of exaggeration laced throughout but gotta love the passionate parochialism.
2 Go to commentsNice one Nick. No doubt Vunivalu’s involvements and work rate are improving this year in attack, but I still think he is too raw on the defensive and backfield part of his game to be considered as a starter. Wales would just kick and run it to his side all night as the brumbies have done to good effect in the past. But, his size/power will keep him in the convo with Mark N leaving and Petaia’s injury record. Hunter definitely enjoying an injury-free run this season and being given the keys by Kiss - I have always been a fan of his. All I’d say is that his triple threat has been evident since 2020/21. I remember him making a grubber for a petaia try after the siren to beat the Brumbies in Canberra after the 80th minute in 2021. Lastly, Jock Campbell, who I know isn’t at the top of your list, I thought had alot of positive involvements in the saders game including both of Tim ryan’s tries and Mcreights
79 Go to commentsAg please, Pieter Stef Du Toit has played circles around this clown.
2 Go to commentsJust celebrating the Bok’s 1648th consecutive day as RWC champions. They are also the Qatar Airways Cup winners, which I know BennieBoy cares about a lot.
2 Go to commentsGood to here positive stories towards Aus Rugby. Although that might be the case, and highers up are right about Jordie, I wouldn’t stress trying to retain him. What I have seen of him in recent times is that he’s not using that something special. I feel there a better ‘something special’ options coming through that they won’t have to compete with league for, hell even in Kerevi and Paisami (isn’t it great to finally see his ability getting recognized, probably taking this article in isolation too much here).
79 Go to commentsgreat article! I wonder whether we will we see Ireland adopt the Nienaber blitz? All the teams who have tried it so far (SA included) have gone through significant teething problems in the first season; Ireland could possibly be in the unique position of being able to switch to a hard blitz in season 2 of a world cup cycle and already have so many players used to the system that it can be implemented seamlessly.
19 Go to commentsThey probably left another 20 on the field to be fair. Also - the officiating was… ordinary.
1 Go to comments