Deduct Saracens Champions League points and reinstate Warriors urges coach Rennie
Glasgow Warriors head coach Daverenniehasinsistedeuropean tournament organisers should reopen the disciplinary hearing against Saracens and give his side a way back into the tournament.
Rennie, who is in his final season in Glasgow before taking over as the head coach of Australia, still hopes he can leave the club on a European high, but first he will have to persuade EPCR [European Professional Club Rugby], the Heineken Champions Cup organisers, that the decision to fine Saracens is not enough.
“They have already been fined this year by EPCR and there are other things going on for a club who are not too concerned about forking out money,” Rennie pointed out.
“A precedent had been set. They have played a player who was ineligible whether they realised it or not and should be punished accordingly. I have no sympathy, the rules are the rules and it is black and white, there are no greys here. He was ineligible to play and they played him.”
The row is around the match between Saracens and Racing 92 in the final round of pool games.ifracinghadwon,then Glasgow would have qualified for the quarter-finals as one of the best pool runners-up. In the event, Saracens won 27-24 and went through at Glasgow’s expense.
Later Saracens admitted Titi
Lamositele, who came off the bench, had been ineligible because his work permit had expired in the days leading up to the game.
At the hearing Saracens pointed out that Lamositele had been eligible when he was selected and renewed his work permit without problem a few days later.
Though in the past clubs that have fielded ineligible players have had the result of the match overturned, in this case the disciplinary panel decided a £50,000 fine, half suspended, would be sufficient, but both sides have a right to appeal and that is what Rennie is demanding.
“We would like that to be the case. Racing have made a few comments as well about not being happy at that game and being denied a potential home quarter-final. I don’t think that is acceptable. In the end they have played an ineligible player and should have been docked points,” he said.
Thoughts of European glory were also a reason why the player with the club appearance record, Rob Harley, has decided to stick with them and sign a two-year extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until at least 2022.
“We’ve built some momentum in Europe, even if we haven’t got as far as we would have liked,” he said. “It’s good to be part of a winning squad. The culture is good, the teammates are good, it’s fun coming to work and training with these guys,” he said.