No one’s safe from being shipped out of Sarries in wake of relegation, says Barritt
BRAD BARRITT says that every Saracens player’s future is up in the air, with the club open to loaning out members of the squad to Premiership sides next season.
It was confirmed on Saturday that Saracens would be relegated to the Championship in the summer for breaching the Premiership’s salary cap in each of the past three seasons and tracking to be over it this campaign.
The club, who yesterday qualified for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup following a 27-24 victory over Racing 92, were initially fined more than £5million in November and docked 35 points when it was discovered they had breached the cap, but they have now been relegated.
The prospect of playing in England’s second tier has led to questions being raised about players’ futures and Saracens’ management will today begin the process of one-on-one meetings with individuals to work out their plans.
It is very much a crossroads moment for the club and when asked yesterday if he thought the majority of the squad would stay together, captain Barritt said: “I will be brutally honest, I couldn’t say yes or no. I have no idea.
“It’s still very early days. For the most part, this team means so much to everyone and the people involved mean so much to everyone. We’ll just have to see how things progress.
“The place means a hell of a lot to every player. People have given their lives to this club, the better part of their career. Everyone is hugely disappointed.”
Barritt (right) confessed he is unsure about what the future holds for him and the same goes for the rest of the Saracens squad, particularly their England contingent.
In total, nine Saracens players represented England at the World Cup in Japan in the autumn and while the RFU will not stop head coach Eddie Jones picking players from the Championship, it remains to be seen whether the Australian would be comfortable doing so. It is why, as well as speaking to the players, Saracens will hold talks with Jones and Warren Gatland, who will coach the Lions in South Africa next year, to sound out their views on where individuals should be playing next season.
England captain Owen Farrell is one of those understood to be committed to the club but, like others, he will need assurances over his international future before deciding his plans. Lock Maro Itoje looks like he is in the same boat after declaring yesterday: “Being a Saracens player, being at Saracens, means a lot to me. I love this club.”
Saracens are considering a number of ways to make staying more appealing for players, such as playing overseas friendlies against sides in South Africa next season.
They will, however, allow players to decide where they want to be playing next year. There are no relegation release clauses in any squad member’s contract, but a solution could be found where individuals are sent on loan to Premiership clubs for next season.
Such a move could be beneficial for the likes of Ben Earl, who at 22 has burst onto the scene and for whom playing in the top flight will benefit his England aspirations.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: “Someone like Ben Earl we’d like to keep at the club for the next five years, but he’s close to getting in the England team, so we’ve got [to understand] where Eddie’s head is at and where Ben’s head is at.”
McCall, however, has committed himself to staying with Saracens as they look to rebuild in the Championship. “Now that we have some clarity around being relegated we can start to plan for the future,” he said. “I would really like to be part of that future.”
Saracens may be relegated, but their hopes of retaining their European title remain intact.
Yesterday’s win over Racing 92, achieved with just 14 men for half the game, has setup a quarter-final showdown with Leinster in Dublin in April.