'You can't keep a trophy if you're proven to have broken the rules'
There is more than a whiff of good versus evil surrounding Saturday’s long-awaited Champions Cup quarter-final collision between Leinster and Saracens. It’s 71 weeks since the duo faced off in the 2019 final in Newcastle. The English club were winners that day, their victory widely acknowledged as deserved for the bruising, clinical manner in which they turned a ten-point deficit into a win by ten.
Since though, though, the world has changed. Not only has the coronavirus run riot through the sport’s sandcastle-like finances, with officials in Ireland on Friday the latest to paint a doomsday scenario, but the appreciation of Saracens’ trophy-collecting habits has also been reduced to rubble.
Whereas once Saracens were admired as the standard others should aspire to, the grubby salary cap scandal, which will see them relegated to the Championship for 2020/21 and unable to compete in the Champions Cup for the first time since 2009/10, has damaged their reputation in a devastating fashion as they head to Leinster.
Eight months after their relegation punishment was meted out, there are some who still feel they weren’t hammered severely enough. Take John Kingston, the former long-serving Harlequins coach who was at the helm when Richmond were dropped like a stone down the English pyramid system when they went into administration 21 years ago.
He told RugbyPass that English officials should have gone further and stripped Saracens of the trophies they won in the Premiership seasons there were found to be guilty of breaking the salary cap.
Leinster vs Saracens has a brief history but a memorable one. Who gets the win this weekend? #LeinsterVsSaracens #EuropeanChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/MRiFW3RHap
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2020
“I struggle to see the Saracens penalty is actually in line with previous stuff that has gone on where clubs have gone into administration because of maladministration of finances. Take Richmond – the consequences of that was (dropping down) nine divisions. You look at Saracens, where cheating has happened on a day to day, week to week basis, and it’s just one division. I’m struggling with that.
“I’m probably in a minority, but I also struggle with the fact the medals have not been returned. For me, it’s very simple: if you’re caught cheating, which is what it was, and you have won something then you’re disqualified and therefore you hand back your medals. It happened to Lance Armstrong. Go to Melbourne Storm and look at rugby league.
“I was asked the other week would you really take a medal off Brad Barritt, what has he done wrong? I said I would because it wasn’t legal what was going on. I’m afraid if you were part of something where you win a title or a cup and you have broken the rules I don’t think history can allow you to continue to have done that.
“Take Bloodgate, for example. I lived and worked my way through that (at Harlequins) and the reality was rules were broken. It was wrong and if Quins had gone on and won the trophy that should have been taken away from them even though it would have been for something far less than the systematic day in, day out Saracens cheating. You can’t keep a trophy if you’re proven to have broken the rules.”
It’s a feeling of injustice that has drifted across the Irish Sea. If Saracens hadn’t broken the Premiership salary cap, would they have had such a strong squad at their disposal to help them win three Champions Cup titles in four seasons, largely at the expense of Leinster?
It’s another appetising reason why Leinster will be gunning to put Saracens to the sword at the Aviva Stadium. If Saracens’ 2018/19 Premiership tile is now tarnished due to salary cap breaches, so too surely is their 2018/19 European final win over the Irish province?
To be fair to Leinster, there has been no Kingston-like outburst over what Saracens have gotten away with, but privately it must annoy them that they are only chasing a second European title in three seasons rather than entering Saturday’s encounter as back-to-back 2018 and 2019 champions chasing a hat-trick of titles.
Adding fuel to the fire is how it would be a killer if Leinster, unbeaten in the 71 weeks since that 2019 final in Newcastle, were to have their 25-game winning streak snapped by an old foe weakened by the loss of the suspended Owen Farrell.
Team news ?@JohnnySexton returns as captain for @leinsterrugby as they welcome @Saracens to the Aviva in a re-run of last season's #HeinekenChampionsCup final ?
Will the English side end their undefeated run so far? ? pic.twitter.com/Q2GDgokj2t
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) September 18, 2020
An Irish loss isn’t expected to happen, though. Whereas Saracens are finally paying a price for all their shady off-field dealings and are coming to Dublin with an XV that doesn’t possess the same level of suffocating clout their St James’ Park winners did, Leinster have moved their game on in the meantime.
They won their latest PRO14 title last weekend in a canter and the greater depth in their squad is illustrated by how Josh van der Flier, man of the match in that decider, is held in reserve this weekend, Will Connors joining Caelan Doris and Jack Conan in a back row they believe will the measure of Billy Vunipola and co.
It was Vunipola’s ball-carrying that extricated Saracens from their sticky situation 16 months ago and Leinster will be wise to the danger of allowing him to have a dominant say on proceedings here.
What has further steeled the Leinster mindset is how their PRO14 final performance wasn’t perfect, their misfiring lineout, for instance, resulting in the recall to Sean Cronin from the shadows for a rare start in recent times.
It’s illustrative of how the Irish have staved off any threat of complacency in their long unbeaten run. Selection rotation has served them nicely, but they now really need to endorse that excellence by giving Saracens the boot from Europe and exorcise the ghost of the 2019 decider, something which Leo Cullen alluded to in this week’s build-up.
“They [Saracens] have had plenty of change since then but they are still the champions, they are still the team we’re trying to beat because they are the ones with the European trophy in their cabinet at the moment and that’s what we’re all trying to go after at the moment. Yeah, it’s a game we’ve all been looking forward to for a long time.”
Haven’t we all? It should initially be a treat of a power struggle but it’s one that can ultimately go Leinster’s way in a comfortable fashion similar to how they dethroned Saracens at this same stage of the tournament in 2018.
"Do they play rugby in Barbados? I might play there"
– Maro Itoje has revealed he doesn't plan on being a one-club man and spending his entire career at Saracens w/@heagneyl ??? https://t.co/j12X7l29Us
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 18, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Hi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
3 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
3 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to comments