We'd play them at Allianz Park for the Premiership Cup next year, given they're our nominated "derby" round game. Plus if we get drawn in the same pool as them next season in the Champions Cup we'd play them in the pool games there too.

In fact, if we were drawn in the same pool as them in the Champions Cup, we'd play them a minimum of 5 times in one season, with the potential if we were both to make the knockout stages of all three competitions it would be 8 times (Prem home & away,  Champions Cup home & away, Prem Cup, Prem SF or F, Champions Cup knock-out, Prem Cup SF or F).

It makes sense. London rivals. Better turnout than if they did it versus Exeter for instance.

I'm quite happy for our players to stay away from the fake turf at the Allianz anyway.

I'm not opposed to keeping our lads off the plastic at all. It's the principle that a team can specify the opposition doesn't sit right with me.

We manage to get 70,000 plus at Twickenham whether we're playing Exeter, Wasps, Northampton, Gloucester, Not Nots (when they were in the Prem) and Sarries for the Big Game. Are they saying that they can only garner enough interest to make it worthwhile unless they're playing us?

Yes.

I don't see why they are allowed to do this. I get that they are allowed a fixed date for a game at a bigger stadium, just like us with Big Game and Bath's thing, but why on earth do they get to specify us every time? Presumably we go along with it. I wonder if we have to in order to be allowed Big Game. Just think it's unfair really. We never get to play them during AIs or 6 nations when they might be weaker.

Would be interested to see why it is allowed to happen

Obviously we draw the crowds we do for BG because it's the festive fixture - families are all in the holiday spirit and it's low hanging fruit for a Christmas present if you don't know what to buy your dad other than his annual new pair of slippers. Hence it doesn't matter so much who we're playing against.

I'm not sure Sarries are specifying WHEN they play us are they? Just where - which is of course up to them given that it's their home fixture. Or have I missed something and they are also scheduling this game for a certain gameweek on an ongoing basis?

Obviously we draw the crowds we do for BG because it's the festive fixture - families are all in the holiday spirit and it's low hanging fruit for a Christmas present if you don't know what to buy your dad other than his annual new pair of slippers. Hence it doesn't matter so much who we're playing against.

I'm not sure Sarries are specifying WHEN they play us are they? Just where - which is of course up to them given that it's their home fixture. Or have I missed something and they are also scheduling this game for a certain gameweek on an ongoing basis?

After a couple of years where they had 3 or 4 Wembley games a season, they settled on a single game in a Big Stadium against us the week following the final week of the 6 Nations, so it's a case of specifying the opposition AND the date.

Bit unfair to say that Saracens shouldn't be able to specify us as opposition and then also say that its Ok for us to insist that our game after Christmas is always a home game .

Maybe there is some give and take going on ?