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Saracens' situation explained as prospect of relegation looms
English and European champions Saracens face the prospect of relegation as the salary cap scandal continues to blight the domestic season.
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Here, the PA news agency examines the current state of play.
Why were Saracens initially punished?
For breaching the Premiership’s £7million salary cap for each of the last three seasons, resulting in a £5.36million fine and the docking of 35 points that leaves them in a relegation battle. There were calls for them to be stripped of titles but this was not within the range of sanctions available to Premiership Rugby (PRL), which manages the league.
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But they are still in trouble?
Yes. While the past three years were dealt with, the punishment failed to address the current season, for which they added England internationals Elliot Daly and Jack Singleton to their squad. Initially, their spending for 2019-20 was the elephant in the room, but there is now a clamour for them to prove they are within the limit observed by their rivals.
EXCLUSIVE:
Things appear to be going from bad to worse for Saracens this evening. https://t.co/B1h9bN8mPQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 16, 2020
Were they not attempting to do this?
It took the re-appointment of Edward Griffiths as chief executive on January 2 for Saracens to change tact after two months of inertia since being hit with the fine and points deduction. The double winners’ original lack of contrition and defiance despite being found guilty of ‘financial doping’ riled their rivals. Griffiths sounded a different note, however, apologising on behalf of the club for the first time and admitting that either wages would have to be reduced or players offloaded to comply with the salary cap for the current campaign.
Why, then, the threat of relegation?
This is where details become hazy. The ante appears to have been upped at a PRL meeting on Tuesday when Saracens were given a week to prove they are operating within the £7million cap or face being demoted to the Championship regardless of their final points total. The extent to which they are over the cap has not been made public, but it is believed to be a substantial amount and Griffiths has found making the necessary reductions harder than expected. Saracens and their players face uncertain futures as patience runs out at PRL.
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Not much tea and sympathy out there for Saracens https://t.co/vJS1ZP9seG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 17, 2020
Can Saracens recover?
Even if they were able to make sudden, drastic, cuts to their wage bill in time to satisfy Exeter owner Tony Rowe and the rest of the Premiership, their reputation is in tatters. Nigel Wray has stepped down as chairman and has now severed all formal ties with the club, his initial indignation at the verdict and punishment handed down by PRL in early November sounding even more misjudged now than it did then. Saracens’ domestic titles will forever be tainted and even if they are spared relegation, it is hard to see how their ‘brand’ will recover.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments