• Saracens players allowed to take ‘sabbatical’ in Championship• Club’s coach says top players can use year to rechargeSaracens’ international players have been given the all clear by Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland to take a sabbatical season in the Championship and still be selected for
England and the Lions next year.
The club’s coach, Mark McCall, said the plan could lead to many of Saracens’ leading England players, such as Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje, staying at Allianz Park while playing only occasionally in the second tier to recharge their batteries for the autumn internationals, Six Nations and the tour of South Africa.