Stop the excuses, Saracens cheated plain and simple

COLIN Boag is again trying to make excuses for Saracens. Regarding salary cap breaches he wrote, “Not because they failed on the pitch but because they transgressed in the board room.”

They did not ‘transgress’ they cheated – not in the board room, but the club as a whole.

Are you suggesting the players were unaware how much money ended up in their bank accounts? That they were paid for appearances off the field they never made? The same will be true of the coaching staff. Of course they knew the club was cheating.

Does the statement below ring any bells?

“Adherence to the laws of the game, regulations relating to the game and the spirit of fair play remains fundamental to the proper administration and preservation of the game in the modern era.”

IT was, without doubt, an outstanding performance by Saracens against a great Leinster side. However and yes here it is; they shouldn’t be in the competition.

Yes, I understand the argument that there is ‘apparently’ no salary cap in European games. They did cheat to get there from the Premiership in the first place.

I make no apologies for that view, but I find the ‘we’ve been hard done by and the whole world is against us’ style of attitude wearing and disingenuous to followers of the game.

Show a bit of humility Saracens. You were cheating; you are fortunate to be still in the competition. Commentators and pundits need to look at their attitude towards it too.