BILLY VUNIPOLA was meant to be preparing to end his Saracens career by chasing a personal fifth Premiership title. Instead, the England No8 may never play for the club again.
The 31-year-old will bring down 11 years with the north London side by joining Montpellier this summer and ought to be gearing up for another Premiership play-off push.
The England star's arrest for assault in a bar in the Majorcan capital Palma has, instead, plunged all of that into a mixture of jeopardy and chaos.
Vunipola came off the bench to help Saracens claim a 15-12 victory at Bath on Friday night every bit as impressive as it is vital to their play-off cause.
Saracens do not have a fixture this coming weekend, having been eliminated from the Champions Cup at the last-16 stage, and some players were handed pre-arranged time off.
Saracens have always stressed a strong work-life balance, with the club famed for group trips overseas to ease the mental as well as physical pressures of rugby's relentless environment.
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin April 29, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin April 29, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'