Monday 20 April 2015 10:58, UK
Saracens plan to bypass English rugby's marquee player market this year and focus on home-grown players.
All 12 Aviva Premiership clubs can recruit an extra marquee player for next season, whose wages will not be included in a salary cap of more than £5m.
Saracens, though, do not intend to go down that road, with current squad strength highlighted by five members of their starting pack against European Champions Cup semi-final conquerors Clermont Auvergne being aged 25 or under and all England-qualified.
Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, George Kruis, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola were at the forefront of a brave and battling semi-final display in Saint-Etienne as English representation in this season's competition came to an agonising end.
"The fact Clermont and Toulon always seem to be in semi-finals or finals gives you an indication that they're pretty powerful," Saracens rugby director Mark McCall said.
"But if someone ever took the time to go through our squad properly and understand where they've come from and where they are now, you can develop your own and make players better.
We don't want to jump in and get 'a name' just because he is available post-World Cup.
"We believe that we do that, and that we give ourselves a chance in these competitions because of that.
"We know where we would like to improve our side, and we are prepared to wait for the right person to make that happen.
"We don't want to jump in and get 'a name' just because he is available post-World Cup.
"It has got to be someone who has got the right kind of ambition and hunger, not just looking to see out his career. We are very, very careful who we're going to spend that kind of money on.
"It is difficult because players talk and understand that this guy (marquee player) has got to perform if he's going to earn that kind of money. For us, we won't be bringing one in for next season.
"I think you are always looking for something to add, and we have got to keep an eye on our back-line, but our pack is developing just nicely and is going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
"The fact that our pack is as young as it is, it's incredibly exciting for us to think that they could be the mainstay of the club for hopefully the next four or five seasons."
