Billy Vunipola: Saracens last hurrah now under threat after Majorca arrest

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 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.

But the club is also famed for its control and discipline as much off the field as on it — and Vunipola’s situation has thrown the end of his glittering Saracens stint into disarray and disgrace.

Even if Saracens harbour private frustrations, the club’s tight ethos will mean that senior figures at the club will be busy trying to provide Vunipola with the best possible support.

The hierarchy’s first concerns are for Vunipola’s well-being, and there will be a large amount of rallying round one of their most loved and well-liked players.

But at the same time, there will be no escaping that Vunipola may have put himself in a position where he cannot play again for the club.

Saracens have just two regular-season league matches left — a trip to Bristol on May 11 and a home clash against Sale a week later. Beyond any potential club measures, Saracens may consider Vunipola not in the right frame of mind to report for duty.

The 75-cap back-rower’s England career will not ultimately be affected by his actions, because his Test-match tenure is effectively already at an end.

Vunipola’s decision to move to France this summer renders him off-limits for England selection, with the RFU sticking fast to their policy of not selecting overseas-based players.

The line-breaking No8 numbers among a growing nucleus of England stars who have opted to move abroad for a boost in both lifestyle and finances.

England head coach Steve Borthwick had already pre-empted Vunipola’s summer departure in any case and had selected accordingly for the just-completed Six Nations.

Vunipola had struggled at the World Cup, heading to France off the back of frustrating injuries and failing to hit full sharpness as England claimed a third-place finish. Saracens back-rower Ben Earl commanded the No8 shirt at the tournament and then dominated the role again as England finished third in the Six Nations.

Vunipola was deemed surplus to Six Nations requirements, with Earl given his head again and Harlequins’ Alex Dombrandt coming back into the picture after missing out on a World Cup squad place.

A move to France would have appeared to suit both England and Vunipola, with Borthwick keen to kick-start a new era and the Saracens star craving a fresh life experience.

Vunipola’s future employers could easily take a dim view of this episode, however, and that deal may yet be on the line. Montpellier are likely to stick by their man, but there can be no guarantees. When he should be gunning for glory, the Saracens stalwart instead finds himself picking up the pieces.