RugbyRebels

Binning the salary cap isn't warranted, it's meeting many of its purposes. There is a question about some of its purposes however and what the enforcement should be

Mellsblue wrote:

Adam_P wrote:

Banquo wrote: Admonishment should go to those allowing it, if admonishment is needed.Other clubs and fans just seem plain jealous that their sugar daddies haven't stuck with it or had deeper pockets. Sarries have shown what you 'need' to get to the top of the club game in Europe, fair means or foul, within the English system....

I'd say it's more frustration than jealously. It's frustrating knowing that for most clubs in the Premiership it's an uphill struggle and not an even playing field to compete with Saracens. They may not have started out with more high quality players, but being able to circumnavigate the cap and pay them by other means has resulted in the current squad having more high quality, and quality in depth, than others. There wouldn't be the level of resentment towards Exeter, if in a few seasons time they are doing the double, as they are a self supported proper rugby club.

Exeter just happen to be in a part of the country where their sugar daddy can afford to buy a stadium and ancillary facilities that provide a nice income. He’s also able/happy to stick his company’s name on the front of their shirt, no doubt for a tidy sum. They also happen to be the only game in town when enticing paying punters to sporting events. Sarries’ competitors played in an FA Cup final, Europa Cup final and Champions League final this season.
I’m not necessarily defending Sarries, even if I think rugby would be in a better place if all clubs looked after their players and their families and their respective futures as well as them, but comparing Exeter’s and Sarries’ ability to build a stable business model is comparing apples and oranges.

FA cup, yes, but why the others? They're competing against Watford only in that area...

Stom wrote:

Mellsblue wrote:

Adam_P wrote:
I'd say it's more frustration than jealously. It's frustrating knowing that for most clubs in the Premiership it's an uphill struggle and not an even playing field to compete with Saracens. They may not have started out with more high quality players, but being able to circumnavigate the cap and pay them by other means has resulted in the current squad having more high quality, and quality in depth, than others. There wouldn't be the level of resentment towards Exeter, if in a few seasons time they are doing the double, as they are a self supported proper rugby club.

Exeter just happen to be in a part of the country where their sugar daddy can afford to buy a stadium and ancillary facilities that provide a nice income. He’s also able/happy to stick his company’s name on the front of their shirt, no doubt for a tidy sum. They also happen to be the only game in town when enticing paying punters to sporting events. Sarries’ competitors played in an FA Cup final, Europa Cup final and Champions League final this season.
I’m not necessarily defending Sarries, even if I think rugby would be in a better place if all clubs looked after their players and their families and their respective futures as well as them, but comparing Exeter’s and Sarries’ ability to build a stable business model is comparing apples and oranges.

FA cup, yes, but why the others? They're competing against Watford only in that area...

They play in north London, 20/30 mins from Tottenham’s and Arsenal’s grounds.

Adam_P wrote:If Saints had the same success based off the same model as Saracens I certainly wouldn't complain. I would however understand why we would be almost unanimously the least liked club amongst other supporters. And it wouldn't be purely based on jealousy of the success of the rugby, it would be about the means used to get there

Which Saints could implement given the means
I’m not a Sarries fan btw, but I admire what they have built.

Owing to a total absence of any demand I'll once again be looking to throw together a minute by minute take on the game, hopefully I'll finish this one, but it'll have to be one of the quicker efforts

So without further ado

Minute 1

Exeter to kick off, and they do so with a perfectly average kick out to the right where Kruis is stood having been watching how to catch restart videos with technical coaching by Joe Launchbury. The ball goes over Kruis and eludes Spencer and Lozowski, Spencer isn't really to blame but Lozowski really is, allowing Cuthbert to gather after his good chase of the kick, Farrell rides Cuthbert down arguably a little high but nothing dangerous or malicious.

Close to the line Exeter set about their familiar pick and go game, Sarries give away a pen but are at least causing some delay on the ball. To no avail as White shapes to move the ball away and then beats Wray to the floor to ground the try to score after 27 seconds

Minute 2

The try was scored on 27 seconds, the conversion is made at only 1 minute 50 seconds on the clock.

Minute 3

Exeter return the favour by refusing to catch the Sarries restart, Sarries take the ball and begin playing reasonably quickly, there's one pass to the ground from I think Farrell in trying to keep the ball moving quickly but this time Lozowski is in a position he can gather and Sarries are almost in on the left until Slade knocks the ball on pretending it's in his attempt to tackle

Minute 4

The first half of the minute is the ref deciding to go to the TMO. After which Sarries kick to touch and win the lineout through Wray, Sarries block Williams from trying to disrupt their drive and George is over for the try. Owing to the unique direction of the TV coverage we don't see if Sarries throw in straight, but as it's Sarries I'd have my doubts.

Minute 5

Nothing happens

Minute 6

Farrell misses the conversion, I assume unlike Exeter he felt guilty about taking so long and missed out of Corinthian spirit

Exeter restart with a kick just a little longer than the kick off so Kruis lets it go and Lozowski takes the kick. Not sure what Exeter are doing there as surely you'd be itching to land the bomb on Kruis and see if he wants to go 2/2 on clean balling up his job.

Sarries make a couple of carries and then look to exit with a box kick, the last thing the enemy will suspect.

Minute 7

Sarries apply a lot of pressure to Ewers on the carry, he stands up through the first tackle but more tackles come in before he can advance, going nowhere White looks to get rid from roughly the middle of the park. Not a good kick from White as it rolls out for a scrum to Sarries back on the halfway

Minute 8

Takes a couple of attempts to set the scrum in, on the second Sarries get a slight nudge on against a 7 man Exeter scrum and Billy picks up at the base

Minute 9

Sarries come left and Liam Williams is tackled by Ewers. Ewers makes little if not no attempt to roll away, and then Cuthbert holds Ewers in place as he tries to get hands on the ball. Easy penalty for the ref to give to Sarries.

Minute 10

Farrell makes the penalty, not a million miles from where he missed the conversion attempt, and this successful kick wasn't his best striking of a ball.

Exeter restart to the right again. Again they kick over Kruis allowing Lozowski to take, Kvesic tackles Lozowski and then tries to contest the ball with seemingly not even a vague attempt to release. Exeter are backing up mistakes

Minute 11

Sarries kick down into the Exeter half and win the lineout, again we don't see the throw really. Sarries bring the ball out to the middle where Billy carries up, he's held but is looking for an option to keep the ball alive but has to settle for going to ground.

Farrell pokes the ball down into the Exeter 22, it's a pretty good kick and a good option with Exeter down a man in the backfield. Nowell does really well to step a tackle having gathered the ball, and even better not to get driven into touch.

Minute 12

Exeter look to exit with a box kick, Itoje looks to apply the standard Sarries pressure but is much less effective with the referee insisting he at least pretend to start onside. It's a pretty good box kick tbh, down the 5m channel, good height and distance.

There's a good chase from Exeter but they can only knock on and Sarries can gather. Sarries again playing the ball really quickly, Billy involved twice to good effect. The pressure ends with Itoje shovelling the ball forwards but it's worth the risk as they're playing so quickly it's very close to getting them a chance to score, good attack from Sarries and good defence from Exeter to force a skill error.

Minute 13

We have a couple of goes at the scrum restart, both fail, on the second the ref awards a free kick to Sarries who elect to have a scrum. The ongoing tolerance for these failed restarts on behalf of the game amazes me, it's another whole minute with no ball in play

Minute 14

Sarries win their scrum and Billy picks up and heads right where Kvesic makes the tackle, but bar one moment where Sarries get a few too many ahead of the ball they're very slick in keeping the ball moving quickly and Exeter are never able to slow them as they need. Eventually Spencer sneaks over as did White earlier.

Minute 15

Nothing happens

Minute 16

Farrell misses the conversion, not the hardest attempt either. Farrell's second miss out of three kicks is described as a rarity, which is odd given his season to date, and even odder when he's now kicking at 33% in this match.

Exeter restart to the left, so again not testing Kruis. However not Itoje cannot take the restart and Yeandle claims the knock down. Exeter play to the middle where Slade does well going forwards in contact against George and Kruis

Minute 17

Nothing especially looks on for Exeter but Itoje sprints out of the line to apply pressure and simply creates a line break for Exeter from nowhere, I guess it's what they're told to do, and they win rather more than they lose, but...

Sarries set about holding on and anything else they can to slow the ball, but the actual penalty Exeter win comes from Ewers making a dummy from the base to draw an offside

Minute 18

Exeter kick to touch and Kvesic wins ball at the front. Exeter don't drive but move the ball to Yeandle coming around the lineout and he hits Devoto who's tackled by Farrell and Wray.

Minute 19

I thought Sarries a touch fortunate not to get a yellow in the previous minute, but they remedy that in this period. Itoje the man taking one for a number of team indiscretions, but he's hardly a man without guilt.

Exeter kick to touch again

Minute 20

Exeter win the lineout and try to drive the maul but Sarries defend it well, so Exeter go to their trusted Pick and Go, and I've said this before (though not I think for many months) but damn if Exeter aren't very wriggly on the floor once the carrier is what some people would call tackled. Not all the actual carries are positive, Moon and Armand especially at most achieved parity in contact, but the whole package is too much and Ewers is over for the score

Minute 21

Nothing happens (actually that's a bit of a lie as the try reported in the previous minute was just into this minute)