snowychap Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Saracens getting another 35 points docked for more salary breach. Meaning relegation for them. They could still win the European trophy as they’ll play their strongest team I. That every week now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted January 19, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted January 19, 2020 20 hours ago, mikeyp102 said: Saracens getting another 35 points docked for more salary breach. Meaning relegation for them. They could still win the European trophy as they’ll play their strongest team I. That every week now. They were talking about it on the radio this morning. Dodgy as f***. They were offered either an analysis of their accounts or an automatic relegation. They chose the latter. How bad must they have been to not want anyone to see the books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 41 minutes ago, choffer said: They were talking about it on the radio this morning. Dodgy as f***. They were offered either an analysis of their accounts or an automatic relegation. They chose the latter. How bad must they have been to not want anyone to see the books. Books done by an ex CEO at VP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 2 hours ago, choffer said: They were talking about it on the radio this morning. Dodgy as f***. They were offered either an analysis of their accounts or an automatic relegation. They chose the latter. How bad must they have been to not want anyone to see the books. Could’ve staved off relegation by returning their championship cups gained whilst breaching the salary cap but chose to go down with their ‘trophy cabinet’ intact. hope their squad abandon ship and leave them in division one for a few years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 3 hours ago, theboyangel said: Could’ve staved off relegation by returning their championship cups gained whilst breaching the salary cap but chose to go down with their ‘trophy cabinet’ intact. hope their squad abandon ship and leave them in division one for a few years! I saw something earlier that the championship doesn’t have a salary cap, but you can’t have hit premiership breach levels for 2 seasons prior to promotion. So I’m guessing they will be down for a while. Be interesting to see if any the players do a a Juventus and stick with the team. I doubt it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 8 hours ago, mikeyp102 said: I saw something earlier that the championship doesn’t have a salary cap, but you can’t have hit premiership breach levels for 2 seasons prior to promotion. So I’m guessing they will be down for a while. Be interesting to see if any the players do a a Juventus and stick with the team. I doubt it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51169248 Quote Saracens' squad will be broken up after their relegation from the Premiership at the end of the season was confirmed, says director of rugby Mark McCall. Premiership Rugby announced on Saturday that the defending champions will be relegated for persistent salary cap breaches. They had already been deducted 35 points and fined £5.4m for three seasons' spending above the cap. "This is the end of that era that dates back to 2009," said McCall. Saracens had a major overhaul in 2009 and have since won five Premiership titles, including four in the past five years, and three European crowns. "There's no doubt the bunch of players we've got in our squad now aren't going to be the same bunch of players we have in the Championship next year," added McCall. "We have got some time to plan for a new era, a new journey, and that is the optimistic way of looking at it." Sarries received a further sanction after failing to prove immediate compliance with the salary cap and will fulfil their remaining fixtures before dropping to the Championship for the 2020-21 season. They beat Racing 92 27-24 on Sunday and secured their spot in the Champions Cup quarter-finals after Gloucester lost to Toulouse. It was Sarries' first match since the announcement and the result keeps alive their hopes of defending their European title. McCall told BBC Sport the club had been "rightly punished" for "big mistakes" but that the players and staff were still "shocked and stunned" at the decision by Premiership Rugby (PRL). "Clearly the club have made some mistakes, and big mistakes, and they have been rightly punished for those mistakes," he said. "When we got the original decision at the start of November, 35 points and a fine, it seemed quite severe. "Then the goalposts have changed again. Of course there is shock and sadness. Sadness more than anything else." When asked why the goalposts had changed, McCall said: "You should ask that question to somebody else in our organisation, in PRL as well. My remit in the club is to get on with the rugby." Saracens' international stars, such as England players Owen Farrell, Mako Vunipola and Maro Itoje, could now look to move on, either on season-long loan deals or permanent moves elsewhere. The Rugby Football Union has confirmed that Championship players will be eligible for England duty, but McCall said Saracens will speak to England head coach Eddie Jones about what he wants for his players. "Every player has got a slightly different situation," said McCall. "We'll also have to talk to Eddie Jones and see what he thinks, in terms of his established players from Saracens and the younger ones - is he prepared for people to be playing in the Championship?" McCall added the club will also discuss the situation with British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland as he prepares for the 2021 tour of South Africa. "It's important that we make decisions with the players, not for them," said McCall. "Keeping the players against their will is never going to work, we need to see how the meetings go next week and see where some players' thoughts are." However, McCall said that he intends to stay on to work with the younger players. "We have the opportunity now to reflect and review and start to plan our future," he added. "I very much hope to be a part of that future." Are Saracens' titles tainted? After the relegation was confirmed, Exeter Chiefs chief executive Tony Rowe told BBC Radio Devon that Saracens were given a choice between Premiership Rugby doing "a forensic audit of exactly what has gone on" or accept relegation. In a statement on Sunday, Saracens said they "accepted" relegation and "unreservedly apologise for the mistakes made" and want to "rebuild confidence and trust" moving forward. When asked if Saracens should keep their titles, Rowe said: "I'm not sure about that, there is still some more to come out and I'm not privy to talk about that at the moment." McCall was asked if the club's four domestic and three European titles in the past five years were now tainted and said: "Things are never black and white. "Those of us who have been here for the 10 years, they know what went into that success. "But no-one wants to listen to that and we understand that. It's not all black and white." Saracens Supporters Association said it will "continue to support" the club and "the players on the pitch." In an email to members before the victory over Racing 92, they said: "It is now about acknowledging what has happened, and looking towards moving forward in a positive way. "We sympathise with our members, and feel that continued support for the team is the best foot forward now." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 On another note Dombrant not in England squad is very surprising 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 23 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said: On another note Dombrant not in England squad is very surprising No specialist no.8 in the squad - very surprising especially how both Dombrandt and Sam Simmonds have been playing. This could seriously bite England on the arse. There are a few eyebrow raising inclusions too - Marler, Launchbury and Tuilagi, whilst all good servants none of them are going to be involved in the next World Cup so why bother with them now (you could argue the case for Lawes being the same too) As it stands, I have France as narrow favourites for the 6 Nations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Eddie Jones has forgotten more in the last ten seconds than I’ll ever know about rugby so I’d love to know some of the logic behind his decisions. Heinz and Youngs (who is crap 9 games out of 10) only 9s and no specialist 8. Certainly not developing any depth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I’m a bit disappointed in Lawes in the back row as a I feel he’s better at second row. Lacks the real dynamism and handling skills you’d expect. I’d imagine Ludlum will come on in second half 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 2 hours ago, mikeyp102 said: I’m a bit disappointed in Lawes in the back row as a I feel he’s better at second row. Lacks the real dynamism and handling skills you’d expect. I’d imagine Ludlum will come on in second half It’s a crazy decision but exacerbated by Jones not picking an out and out 8. Even though Dombrant and Simmonds aren’t experienced ‘international’ No.8’s, they’re a better option than playing a flanker there and having a second row as flanker. I think this decision by Jones will backfire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 No Mako, neither. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 31, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 31, 2020 Everyone likes a home game against Italy, though I think I'd prefer it in the middle somewhere and not at the start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 (edited) 20 hours ago, theboyangel said: It’s a crazy decision but exacerbated by Jones not picking an out and out 8. Even though Dombrant and Simmonds aren’t experienced ‘international’ No.8’s, they’re a better option than playing a flanker there and having a second row as flanker. I think this decision by Jones will backfire. He’s a genius in many ways so I’d love to know Eddie’s reasoning behind not developing any depth in certain positions. Youngs (30) and Heinz (33) as the only 9s in the squad is baffling. It seems so obvious. Wales, for example, have given plenty of game time to at least four different 9s who could all easily now slot in at test level. At least bring in a prospect to train with the squad. Edited February 1, 2020 by JB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 The rhythm of the international rugby calendar is so different from football. Must be hard for Jones to know how to treat this 6N. Does he chase the Grand Slam or does he start building his next WC team? Might be a bit too early for the latter, especially with fans and journos wanting us to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 38 minutes ago, KentVillan said: The rhythm of the international rugby calendar is so different from football. Must be hard for Jones to know how to treat this 6N. Does he chase the Grand Slam or does he start building his next WC team? Might be a bit too early for the latter, especially with fans and journos wanting us to compete. Agreed, and everyone knows that the first six nations after a World Cup is full of change. Throughout the next 4 yrs I’ve no doubt that the team will change massively. For me the number 9 position is vital to the way the team plays as they are that link between forwards and backs. I think we all know Heinz at 33, has no chance of being around the next WC, and he should definitely be the one out the squad for someone younger (I’m not up on club rugby enough to give suggestions) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 England currently don’t have a great pool of scrum halves to pick from pretty good depth elsewhere but no the 9 spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted February 1, 2020 Moderator Share Posted February 1, 2020 I thought Wales were a bit lucky to get the bonus point win. They were industrious but let Italy frustrate them, they got bogged down in the middle of the second half and should have had the bonus point with ease with 20 mins to go. Wales will need to improve a lot before we meet the Irish in the next round of games. On the plus side the Wales line was never in any serious danger Biggar's pass through his legs was something else though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 7 minutes for the Frogs to get a try 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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