Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes Sam Simmonds’ decision to leave Exeter for Top 14 outfit Montpellier next season is a move that should concern the Premiership.
Simmonds will be 29 when he joins the French club and, while England head coach Eddie Jones expects him to be available for selection for next year’s World Cup in France, the number eight will be ineligible to to represent his country after the global showpiece.
McCall feels the departure abroad of a player in his prime has wider implications for the Premiership.
When McCall was asked if Simmonds’ move from Exeter was a sign of things to come, he replied: “The answer is I hope not.
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“I say that because Sam is 27, nearing his peak and is now making himself ineligible for England.
“I kind of understand someone who is early 30s doing it after they’ve had their international career and want to experience something different.
“But to start losing the best young talent in the Premiership, someone like Sam, is a worry.”
The dire finances of clubs in the Premiership resulted in the salary cap being reduced to £5million, but even that has not stopped Worcester entering administration, while Wasps are close to suffering a similar fate.
And, although it’s necessary, the wages cuts on offer to players has made it increasingly difficult for English clubs to compete with French and Japanese teams and there is a fear that other members of Jones’ squad will, like Simmonds, also be heading overseas.
Difficult times
McCall admitted that, with a World Cup less than a year away and the salary cap reduction limiting the money available, keeping a squad together has never been so hard for a director of rugby.
“It’s hugely complicated and it’s one of the more difficult puzzles you can do,” he said.
“We had some plus-one contracts (contracts which carry an option for a player to stay for one more year) the players had signed a while back. In the past, you wouldn’t start to have conversations about what is going to happen this year and the year after until October or November.
“Those conversations began on day one of pre-season because you need an understanding of where people want to be in a year’s time. Every decision has an effect on someone else.
“There will have to be difficult decisions made and we need to be skilful about how we do that.”
McCall also revealed that Saracens second-row Maro Itoje will miss Saturday’s repeat of last season’s Premiership final against Leicester Tigers as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury.