Northampton Saints have found an unlikely ally in the form of Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill as they prepare for the blow of potentially losing their best two props to French club Racing Metro.
Reports have suggested that loose-head Soane Tonga'uiha and tight-head Brian Mujati will leave the club at the end of the season.
Both men have developed into what Cockerill called "world-class" players while at Franklin's Gardens, but now look set to leave for the riches of the French Top 14.
With a rigid salary cap of just more than £4million in England, Cockerill says that will cost Saints' director of rugby Jim Mallinder the chance of hanging on to two of the club's most prized assets.
Cockerill said Saints were falling foul of the system.
"The salary cap has bitten Tigers over a number of years and, if the reports are correct, Northampton are going to lose two of the props that they have brought in, developed and made world-class," he said.
"As much as Northampton are huge rivals, I think it is wrong that they are not allowed to compete in the market place for their players.
"Tonga'uiha came from Bedford and they have made him into what he is. Now they cannot afford to keep him because of the salary cap. That is harsh.
"It's a financial choice. Look at Alesana Tuilagi who has gone from us to Japan for a considerable amount of money. We didn't even try to compete with that because he would have taken up 25 per cent of our cap.
"For someone like Geoff Parling, who is also out of contract, he has come from Newcastle and now he is starting for England. He will get offers bigger than ours, so it will be down to the good will of the player to say he likes playing for you, that he is really happy here trying to win something and that he will take 25 per cent less than he could get somewhere else."
