Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall insists not everything is black and white regarding the club’s breach of salary cap rules and insisted “all the facts of the case” will come out.
The under-fire Gallagher Premiership champions concluded a challenging few days on Sunday with a 21-12 win over Gloucester.
Now the focus this weekend turns to the Heineken Champions Cup, with Saracens the holders after winning the competition in May.
But off the pitch, the Allianz Park club are appealing against a 35-point deduction and a fine of more than £5million for breaching salary cap rules for the last three seasons.
In an exclusive interview with this evening’s BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight programme, McCall said: “People are entitled to their opinions, of course they are.
“When they read and they hear the club have been found guilty of what they have been found guilty of, you can understand how they feel.
“Things are never as black and white as they are and I don’t think too many people know too much about all the facts of the case, but I am sure it will come out in due course.”
🕺 @ManuVunipola with the dancing feet@NickTompkins1 with try 4⃣ in his last two games vs Gloucester 🔥 Highlights of our spirited win at Kingsholm can be found on the website ⚫️🔴👉 https://t.co/kd2qEZ8gfx pic.twitter.com/ScVTKxgq3Y — Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) November 11, 2019
Saracens’ Heineken Champions Cup win in May was the third time the London club had sealed European success.
Many domestic rivals have stated the titles should be taken off McCall’s team and he was asked if the breach of salary cap rules tarnishes their success over the last few seasons.
He added: “I think in lots of peoples eyes, it will, but having been here for the last 10 years and seen the hard work of our playing group and staff and the growth of our playing group from 14-year-olds through to British Lions, for us – and hopefully others will realise this – we have never shouted from the treetops about what we’ve won.
“It has been more about what we’ve built and the relationships that exist here and the relationships I have with our coaches, staff and playing group is something I cherish.
“I guess the big challenge for us now is to see how we respond to this and can those relationships, which we’ve worked so hard on over the last 10 years, be as strong in two or three years time, so that will be the real test for us.”
Watch the full interview on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight, this evening (13 November) from 8pm on BT Sport 1. It can also be viewed now on btsport.com and the BT Sport App.
