Saracens boss Mark McCall has warned his players will not use “anger and bitterness” to fuel their performances following the club’s punishment for breaching Premiership salary cap regulations.
Sarries are facing a 35-point deduction and £5.36million fine after an inquiry into business dealings between players and club chairman Nigel Wray.
The club are yet to lodge an appeal, but should the punishment stand, McCall’s defending Premiership champions will find themselves facing a relegation scrap.
Criticism from the wider rugby community has already been severe, but McCall rubbished any suggestion that his side would adopt a siege mentality.
“I think a siege mentality’s okay for a couple of weeks,” he said. “I don’t think it’s sustainable for six, seven, eight months. What are the things that make us at our best?
"I don’t think anger, bitterness and resentment are part of that.”
Sarries won their first game since the news broke when beating Gloucester last Saturday and McCall said the performance was “fuelled by togetherness".
