Saracens’ decision not to appeal was made to give McCall, the director of rugby, some certainty over his planning and team selection

Saracens are abandoning their appeal against one of the harshest punishments in sporting history, involving a £5.4 million fine and a 35-point penalty, for a breach of the salary cap.

The deadline for notice of appeal falls on Monday, but the club will not proceed with one despite having previously professed themselves “confident” about the outcome of any such move. The Sunday Times last week revealed that the judgment, never to be made public, had cleared Saracens of any “deliberate action to break the salary cap” while accusing the club of “recklessness” in their book-keeping.

It means Saracens will plunge immediately to the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership table with minus 22 points, 26 points adrift of Leicester Tigers, who are bottom. It will be