Saracens’ distress has escalated following the arrest of Billy Vunipola in Mallorca, while Maro Itoje may face a suspension that could render him absent for the club’s season finale. Vunipola’s arrest news broke only a day before Itoje was called out for a dangerous tackle during their 15-12 victory against Bath. Itoje was expected to attend a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday evening, with a ruling anticipated on Wednesday morning.
At the same time, Vunipola is bracing for a confrontation on Wednesday, as he returns to the club for the first time since his arrest. The number eight player was tasered and detained after an altercation at a nightclub in Mallorca during a team bonding excursion. Following a brief trial in Palma, he was fined €240, accused of disobedience and assaulting a police officer, prior to his return to Stansted. Along with this, a four-month suspended prison sentence was imposed.
The team had an off-day on Tuesday, but Vunipola is expected to return to the club on Wednesday, with no long-term leave granted. In another instance, Itoje was penalised for his tackle on Alfie Barbeary, considered a red-card-worthy offence by the citing officer. If the charge stands, Itoje could be facing a minimum ban of six weeks due to head-contact, thereby excluding him from the first two Tests of England’s summer tour of Japan and New Zealand.
Handing him a three-week ban, shortened to two should he attend “tackle school”, offers a plausible course of action, though it would still spell the end of Itoje’s domestic season as Saracens only have two regular-season games left. Currently second in the Premiership, a playoff qualification seems likely for Saracens.
Itoje’s contribution to the season climax is uncertain. Furthermore, it remains ambiguous how the Saracens management will react to Vunipola’s situation. If they choose to not impose a ban on him, a potential charge from the Rugby Football Union for game-prejudicial conduct may await Vunipola.
Despite the possibility of the union enforcing a suspension, Vunipola appears to be in a decent position, given that a warning he received in April 2019 for seemingly backing Israel Folau’s homophobic remarks on social media is believed to have lapsed.
If Vunipola faces a ban, it could potentially exclude him from the last few matches with the Saracens before his anticipated transfer to Montpellier in the summer season. Despite his recent indiscretion in Mallorca, the Top 14 club is yet to abandon plans for the impending deal.
The issue was brought to public attention alongside CCTV footage where Vunipola appears shirtless, amid laughs, in the company of bobbies and the bar’s security team. Reportedly, after the initial Taser strike hit his wallet, Vunipola was stunned a second time before he was escorted to Son Espases hospital around 4.30 am on Sunday.
Vunipola offered his apologies on Monday, labelling the event as an “unfortunate misunderstanding”, while the Saracens affirmed their knowledge about the incident involving Billy Vunipola in Mallorca. The club stated that they will be dealing with the matter in-house, keeping any further commentary at bay until then.