The thing about the Saracens that further surprises me is that they're able to have the strongest and deepest squad, whilst being based in NW London? Really?
Normally, wages in London (and the surrounding areas) are considerably higher than in places like Northampton, because the cost of living is so high. Accommodation in London is ridiculously expensive compared to every other city involved in Premiership rugby. You burn through your salary a lot faster in London. Speaking purely from a financial perspective, if you want to match the quality of life you'd have in Gloucester/Northampton/Leicester whilst in London, you'd have to be paid considerably more.
So you'd think that either Saracens pay their players more than other clubs and struggle to match others' depth, or that they pay the same amount as other clubs and struggle to entice players.
To compare, Harlequins, also based on the outskirts of London, have the smallest squad of anyone in the top half of the table. Either they are not paying up to the salary cap (but after their success and that Nev is on £300+k, I can't see why they wouldn't be), or cost of living just makes it difficult to get more players under the cap.
Having the deepest, strongest squad in the UK whilst based in NW London? Throw in that they have the highest number of internationals, in terms of
a) current + past
b) just current and
c) 10+ cap internationals?
Hmm...
