Saracens are relegated!

[Scuttle]

Griffiths has now gone

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51283088

[fentiger]

Now they have had the total points deduction increased by a further 70 points to a total of 105!

From Gavin Mairs (Telegraph):

'Premiership Rugby confirm update to salary cap regulations:

* Any club who has breached cap/suspected of breaching the cap can be subjected to a mid-season audit.
* Failure to comply may result in a 70 point deduction.

Confirmation Saracens now on -77points'

[jgriffin]

I don't know whether to cheer or cry. A tragedy manufactured by the actors themselves.
However, the ONLY further move should be to expunge all Sarries results this season from the tables. Those who have played Sarries already will be at a loss compared with those later, given how it seems to be going.

[Scuttle]

Now they have had the total points deduction increased by a further 70 points to a total of 105!

From Gavin Mairs (Telegraph):

'Premiership Rugby confirm update to salary cap regulations:

* Any club who has breached cap/suspected of breaching the cap can be subjected to a mid-season audit.
* Failure to comply may result in a 70 point deduction.

Confirmation Saracens now on -77points'

They had to do something like this. To have Sarries overhaul another team having "only" a 35 point deduction and to then still be relegated would have been a farce. I think it would be hard for a team to face down the ignominy of finishing bottom and stay up when Sarries had a 35 point deduction.

[Rutlandtiger]

It will be interesting going forward how Sarries approach games. They're now in this nothing to win and nothing to lose position. Every game like a preseason friendly. If they wanted they could play to win against certain title chasing teams and put out a second string against other teams. Imagine a team at point of reaching the top 4 in the latter stages of the league and Sarries decide this is a game they are going to turn up for - completely changing the outcome of the league. Does bring into question the validity of points gained or lost against them!!!

[CitizenSmiff]

If we can just randomly add punishments to the rules with a majority vote why can't the chairmen take their trophies away? Regulation 3.1.2.2a- you don't get to keep trophies you won by having the moral constitution of an orca whale.

[mol2]

Now they have had the total points deduction increased by a further 70 points to a total of 105!

From Gavin Mairs (Telegraph):

'Premiership Rugby confirm update to salary cap regulations:

* Any club who has breached cap/suspected of breaching the cap can be subjected to a mid-season audit.
* Failure to comply may result in a 70 point deduction.

Confirmation Saracens now on -77points'

They had to do something like this. To have Sarries overhaul another team having "only" a 35 point deduction and to then still be relegated would have been a farce. I think it would be hard for a team to face down the ignominy of finishing bottom and stay up when Sarries had a 35 point deduction.

Didn’t this happen with sides being denied promotion on dubious grounds standards when some of the sides already in the Premiership failed to meet the same standards at the time?

[Traveller]

Now they have had the total points deduction increased by a further 70 points to a total of 105!

From Gavin Mairs (Telegraph):

'Premiership Rugby confirm update to salary cap regulations:

* Any club who has breached cap/suspected of breaching the cap can be subjected to a mid-season audit.
* Failure to comply may result in a 70 point deduction.

Confirmation Saracens now on -77points'

They had to do something like this. To have Sarries overhaul another team having "only" a 35 point deduction and to then still be relegated would have been a farce. I think it would be hard for a team to face down the ignominy of finishing bottom and stay up when Sarries had a 35 point deduction.

Didn’t this happen with sides being denied promotion on dubious grounds standards when some of the sides already in the Premiership failed to meet the same standards at the time?

Its the 'something like this' that is the madness though isn't it. No doubt someone at PRL will soon be recommending that Saracens have a further 70 points deducted as a punishment for already having lots of points deducted which means they will now be on -140 points. BUT the matches that they play will still have a value to their opponents but absolutely none to Saracens. It's a very real possibility now that they could influence a play off position. They don't like Quins so they put a full team out against Quins to stop them getting in the play off. They don't mind Bath so that put a 2nd string out to make Bath's route to a 4th place plan off position easier.

Why didn't PRL simply say that matches against saracens do not carry any league points. That way they would have finished bottom, and they would not have had any influence on other teams league positions. Matches against saracens that have already been played would have their points taken away. That way both teams could actually have spoken to each other and tried to make it a sensible game i.e. Exeter v Saracens - they agree to put out full teams (or not). Tigers v Saracens both sides agree to put out development teams.

Just endlessly deducting points still doesn't address the core problem.

[daktari]

I think this all comes from the Cap rules being designed to enforce minor breaches - I don't think anyone thought a club would be so brazen to have such disregard for rules that they had agreed to. PRL have not handled it well but lets not forget who is responsible for it - if Saracens had stuck to the rules, there wouldn't be this mess. It seems the other clubs have completely lost patience and trust with them

[Traveller]

I think this all comes from the Cap rules being designed to enforce minor breaches - I don't think anyone thought a club would be so brazen to have such disregard for rules that they had agreed to. PRL have not handled it well but lets not forget who is responsible for it - if Saracens had stuck to the rules, there wouldn't be this mess. It seems the other clubs have completely lost patience and trust with them

I absolutely agree. This is all of Saracens making and the PRL are simply reacting (probably due to pressure from the other clubs). It's just that a further 70 points reduction doesn't actually achieve anything really and definitely doesn't change the exposure of other clubs to a Saracens still influencing the league. Zero point matches would do so.

[ay2oh]

I think that the additional 70 points has been levied so that Saracens cannot decide to make a late challenge to the relegation decision on the grounds that it is unlawful.
This gives 100% certainty to their relegation thus easing the fears of other teams near the bottom

[kk20gb30]

Admittedly,going off to toward slightly different tangent I cannot see how the dedicated 'rugby press' still seem to look upon the exploits of Sacacens with a degree of affection and warmth.The bottom line (to me , at least) is that they were/are undoubtedly a great team but assembled illegally ..................

Ah, that Ben Johnson - one hell of an athlete ....

[DingDong]

Allegedly the Championship clubs had lobbied the PRL to have two clubs relegated from the Premiership, Sarries for punishment and also the worst performing club. If true, another bullet dodged. Also, Ealing Trailfinders are furious as they've spent so much effort to be in a position to compete for promotion, now Sarries will put paid to any their clubs ambitions next season.

[Tiglon]

Ealing are 3rd behind Newcastle and Cornish Pirates. They don't look likely to get promoted regardless of Sarries.

Just more people trying to use Saracens cheating to cover up their own failure. Ealing have constantly talked about promotion over the last couple of years and invested a lot of money, now they're taking the opportunity to use Saracens as an excuse for not making it.

[DingDong]

Ealing are 3rd behind Newcastle and Cornish Pirates. They don't look likely to get promoted regardless of Sarries.

Just more people trying to use Saracens cheating to cover up their own failure. Ealing have constantly talked about promotion over the last couple of years and invested a lot of money, now they're taking the opportunity to use Saracens as an excuse for not making it.

So much negativity from you Tiglon, Ealing are 2pts from being in the playoffs this season, which in your eyes is 'failure', just a sad attitude when you think of those players giving their all on a Saturday.