Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

On This Day - Saracens docked 35 points and fined over salary cap saga

By PA
A Gloucester fan mocks Saracens

Saracens were docked 35 points and handed a £5.3million fine on this day in 2019 after being found guilty of repeated salary cap breaches.

ADVERTISEMENT

It would signal the start of long-running saga which would eventually end with the club being relegated from the Gallagher Premiership.

An independent panel found Saracens had failed to disclose payments to players in each of the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons which resulted in Premiership Rugby taking action.

Video Spacer

Why the All Blacks selection race is tighter than it’s ever been | Healthspan Elite Performer of the Week

Video Spacer

Why the All Blacks selection race is tighter than it’s ever been | Healthspan Elite Performer of the Week

Nigel Wray, club chairman at the time, described the punishment as “heavy handed” and an appeal was launched before weeks later he changed tack and conceded they “made mistakes” and “we must accept these penalties”.

Wray would step down from his role at the beginning of 2020 but his family continued to provide financial support, like it had for all of its time in the professional era.

More was to come in January, however, when Saracens accepted relegated to the Championship after Premiership Rugby handed out another punishment over the club’s failure to trim the wage bill significantly enough to prevent a further salary cap breach for the 2019-20 campaign.

A report into Sarries salary cap breaches was eventually published with the actions of then-domestic and European champions described as “reckless” by a damning independent report.

ADVERTISEMENT

The coronavirus pandemic extended the club’s time in the Premiership a little longer, with the sport suspended before it returned in August by which time several key figures like Owen Farrell, Jamie George and Maro Itoje had committed their future to the north London-based outfit, who were still coached by Mark McCall.

After bowing out of the top flight in October and seeing the defence of their Heineken Champions Cup title also end, Saracens returned to action in March in the Championship but their tier-two stay was brief following a two-legged play-off final victory over Ealing Trailfinders in June.

Since being back in the Premiership, McCall’s side have won five of their opening six fixtures to sit second in the table, having also been the subject of a £32m takeover in October which saw Wray sell his controlling stake to a consortium headed by Enstar’s chief executive Dominic Silvester and which includes ex-Sarries star Francois Pienaar.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith' Mick Cleary: 'Borthwick needs to have faith in Marcus Smith'
Search