Salary cap scandal era my proudest time - McCall

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Maro Itoje (right) was one of the front-line stars who stayed at Saracens despite their demotion to the Championship By Mike Henson BBC Sport rugby union news reporter Published 8 minutes ago Six Premiership titles, three Champions Cup, a coaching back catalogue of big games and even bigger victories. But Mark McCall doesn't name any of them. Instead the Saracens boss picks the elephant in the trophy cabinet. Back in 2020, at the height of their powers, his team were relegated from the Premiership and fined more than £5m for repeated breaches of the top-flight salary cap. "That whole episode is weirdly the thing that makes me proudest," McCall told Rugby Union Weekly. "You think you are part of something half decent, but you don't know until you are properly tested." With a British and Irish Lions tour on the horizon, and Saracens bound for the Championship, it was assumed there would be an exodus. Instead Saracens' stars stayed put. Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Owen Farrell, Elliot Daly, and Mako and Billy Vunipola dutifully served out a single-season spell in the second tier. Emerging prospects Max Malins and Ben Earl went to Bristol, but only on short-term loans. "Everyone wanted to help us get back on our feet… and that allowed us to become stable again," said McCall. Rugby Union Weekly: Mark McCall - End of an era Saracens boss McCall to step down at end of season Published 23 January As the 58-year-old reaches the end of his 17th and final season in charge, one of his most treasured memories comes from that turbulent time. On 9 November 2019, four days after Premiership Rugby had docked points and levelled an enormous fine on Saracens, McCall's side ran out away at Gloucester. Without a clutch of England stars - rested after their run to the World Cup final in Japan - Saracens' stand-in squad members were taunted by the local fans in the Shed stand. They waved fake £50 notes at the visitors. A chant of "same old Sarries, always cheating" greeted every refereeing call against them. But, despite it all, those same old Saracens kept on winning. "We were understrength, walking into the lions' den. It was tough and that performance and that win will be something I remember forever," McCall said. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Gloucester fans taunted Saracens in the days after their punishment for repeated salary cap breaches It will be tough again on Saturday. Exeter, arguably the side that lost out most through Saracens' cheating and among their loudest critics, will host the Londoners at Sandy Park in the final round of the Prem's regular season. It is a straight shoot-out. Victory will take Exeter into the Prem semi-finals. A bonus-point win would guarantee Saracens that same spot at Chiefs' expense. Whether McCall's long reign extends to another weekend will be decided by the result. "I have massive respect for Exeter, especially for what they have done this year," said McCall. "They came