Saracens supporters 'abused in the street'
Saracens supporters have been abused in the street in the wake of this week’s punishment over breaches of salary cap rules.
That's according to renowned BT commentator Nick Mullins, who said he had heard from supporters who had been verbally abused.
The Allianz Park side were handed a 35-point league deduction and fined more than £5million on Tuesday, although both sanctions will be suspended while the London club appeal against them.
If the deduction remains in place – for multiple breaches of Premiership Rugby’s salary cap regulations over the last three seasons – Saracens are odds-on for relegation this term.
Mullins wrote on Twitter: "Heard from Saracens supporters this week who’ve been abused in the street. That cannot be right. You’ll react in your own way if you’re off to Kingsholm tomorrow, but this is worth thinking about."
Many have requested that Gloucester fans remain respectful of the visiting Saracens team this week.
Elsewhere former England captain Martin Johnson has warned Gallagher Premiership clubs not to write off the reigning champs.
But asked about the prospect of the European and English champions going down, Johnson replied: “I think they might manage to avoid it (relegation). We were talking before about motivation and they might.
“I heard it was coming a while ago and they were not going to announce it, but there is not much detail there.
“They are saying they didn’t do it knowingly, which they are going to say at this point, and they are appealing, but I don’t know the detail.
“It’s self-imposed (the salary cap), it’s a Premiership agreed thing amongst themselves to keep the costs down. It is up to them to sort that out and the punishment.
“Saracens have produced a lot of the England players, it’s the core of a team which got to the final and a lot have come through the system and they’ve done a good job, it has to be said.
“It will be interesting to see if that’s upheld or what happens.”
Nine players from Mark McCall’s side were part of Eddie Jones’ squad out in Japan.
Former England captain Johnson believes the World Cup runners-up will benefit from being thrown back into the Premiership season after such an intense couple of months.
“They will go back to their clubs and enjoy being home and away from the pressure of World Cup build-up and the World Cup,” the ex-Leicester lock added.
“Actually you get back from a World Cup nowadays and the pressure of your club games feel halved because it’s not the super intense World Cup.
“Then they get to the Six Nations and it feels quite joyful. You don’t feel as pressurised during that first Six Nations after a World Cup. People are not talking about the World Cup anymore, you just play the tournament.
“It’s France away in the first game which is huge because France could have got to the final and should have certainly got to the semi-final.
“That could be a cracking game and there is nothing like a big game to get your mind back into it and off you go. These guys are mid-career so don’t over dwell on the World Cup final.”
Martin Johnson was speaking at the launch of UNTUCKit, who design shirts specifically to be worn untucked – www.untuckit.com
He added: “I have been very lucky to do what I have done in sport and I have met people in my sport and other sports and they are all human beings. We all have our weaknesses, fallibilities and our issues confidence wise.”
- PA
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Can we also show some love for Tane Edmed’s fantastic draw and pass? Put his body on the line and committed the defender before letting go of that pass. Flawless skill.
Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
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