DROP STARS CAN SARRIE ON FOR EDDIE
Jones gets all clear to pick England boys despite threat of relegation
EDDIE JONES is resigned to the fact that he will have to pick Championship players for England – as half his team faced up to the imminent threat of relegation.
Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Elliot Daly, Jamie George, George Kruis and Mako and Billy Vunipola are understood to have accepted demotion from the Premiership, with Saracens again in breach of the salary cap.
The alternative for the disgraced English champions was to give up their trophies, be forced to dismantle their team and open up their books for closer scrutiny.
Relegation would mean eight of Jones’s (above) World Cup final 23 plying their trade outside the top flight for a year leading into the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.
The sensational scenario moved a step closer to becoming reality following a crisis meeting yesterday at which the doomsday scenario was spelt out.
Sarries had already been deducted 35 points and fined £5.36million for salary cap breaches in each of the last three seasons. And faced with an end-of-month deadline to become compliant, the Londoners have been unable to reduce their wage bill sufficiently to avoid triggering a further 35-point penalty.
One source suggested up to eight players would go, but club captain Brad Barritt made it clear there would be opposition to a cull.
“We want to avoid disruption,” he said. “I would hate to see my colleagues disappear because of this situation.”
And team boss Mark McCall said he would not quit. “I have never thought of walking away,” he said. “The club has been brilliant to me.”
The players will meet with the club again on Monday, 24 hours after Saracens’ must-win Champions Cup clash with Racing 92.
Aware that a second 35-point deduction would leave them
53 points adrift, Sarries have opted to go all-out to retain their European crown.