Care: Saracens management "let the players down" after 21-17 home loss to Sale
Former England scrum-half Danny Care said "some of the powers that be" at Saracens have "let the players down" after the club's 21-17 home defeat by Sale on 5 October 2026, a match in which Saracens had numerical superiority for 27 minutes of the first half. Care made the comments amid what he described as a turbulent start to the season and growing off-field controversy at the club.
Saracens opened the season with a 40-38 win at Leicester before the 21-17 home reverse to Sale. The build-up to the Sale game was dominated by headlines surrounding returning director of rugby Brendan Venter, who reportedly refused to perform a series of media obligations and was said to have risked fines for the club. There was conjecture that his title had been changed to 'head of rugby culture and wine consultant', although the club later clarified he is now head of culture and technical director.
New Saracens chief executive Ed Coetzee confirmed on Friday that Venter's job title, which differs to the one he was said to have when appointed to succeed Mark McCall, includes "significant media duties". Venter spoke to TNT Sports before the match with Sale and addressed his formal role at the club.
Venter told TNT Sports he refused the director of rugby job title because he had "absolutely nothing" to do with other departments of the club, such as the academy and women's section. The 56-year-old also denied the wine consultant reference was a joke aimed at the media.
Venter said: "Our whole theme this year was all about wine. Everything in our theme was about a blend and getting the blend right." Those remarks formed part of the off-field narrative that Care said had affected the squad.
Care criticised the club's handling of the situation on the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, saying: "They're putting the players under more pressure with off-field antics" and "The lads don't want a part of any of that, they just want to play." He added: "There was all this chat of Sarries pushing for top four again, and having this amazing team and culture again. I just think some of the powers that be at the top have let the players down."
Care also questioned the timing and tone of the media issues, saying: "But then it just feels like they're taking the mickey out of everyone by [saying] 'he's not doing interviews today' and taking fines and changing his job title. You can only do that when you are so much better at rugby than everyone else and at the moment, they're not." He said the on-field display against Sale "looked flat. It looked quiet."
Speaking on the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Care concluded: "I don't blame the players. I blame the management for that."