Alan Gaffney has described Saracens as a "sad and sorry tale" following the departure of Eddie Jones and the axing of 18 first-team players from the club.

As the departing director of rugby, Gaffney handed over control of Saracens to Jones at the end of last season to initiate a transfer of power.

It was supposed to ensure continuity, but the arrival of new South African investors in September has seen the senior management depart, with Jones and chief executive Mark Sinderberry both leaving, and the now infamous meeting between the players and Brendan Venter, the ex-Springbok who will be director of rugby next season

Venter told key men such as All Black lock Chris Jack and Samoan prop Census Johnston they were being axed, while others found their chances of playing next season non-existent.

Since leaving Sarries, Gaffney has been appointed as the Ireland backs coach and was a key factor in their march to a first Grand Slam since 1948, but stills follows his old club and fears they have made a big mistake.

Ahead of Saracens' derby against Wasps at Vicarage Road on Sunday, Gaffney said: "I feel a great deal of regret because things had been put in place to take Saracens to another level but Eddie Jones has now gone.

"It doesn't feel like the club I left last summer at all and I don't really recognise the place and I couldn't believe they had just sacked those players. Don't they realise what a huge chunk of money it is going to take to pay those contracts off? Have they really thought this out?

"I still feel for the players I worked with and who have to play in the current situation and I know, having heard from a lot of fans, that the supporters are pretty shattered by the whole thing.

"Those fans have devoted a lot of time and money to supporting Sarries and they haven't been thought about at all. I did keep in pretty regular contact with Eddie, who I have known for many years and what was being planned would have brought great benefits to the club but that's all changed."

To many, it appears as if an Australian cabal at Sarries; Gaffney, Jones and Sinderberry has merely been replaced by a South African management group under Edward Griffiths, the new chief executive, but there is a significant difference.

Gaffney and Jones did not bring in a host of Wallaby players or try to reposition the club to attract Antipodean support.

Sarries will feature a number of South African players next season and are ready to play their fixtures in areas where they can tap into the ex-pat community in the South East.

Griffiths has been mounting a sustained defence of the South African investment in Sarries while highlighting the need for the club to increase attendances to stave off financial difficulties.

He is adamant that despite the arrival of Venter, Sarries will boast more English qualified players in their squad next season.

They also have current England captain Steve Borthwick on board.

It all adds up to yet another period of turmoil at Sarries, who have constantly changed coaches and players over the last decade in a desperate search for success.

Wasps will be hoping to exploit any disharmony in this spiky derby as they look to keep their slim play-off hopes alive.

The reigning champions will be boosted by the return of their England players after the Six Nations Championship.

Director of rugby Ian McGeechan said: "We shot ourselves in the foot in the first two months of the season and since then, we have been playing catch up.

"International demands removed key players from what is a relatively small squad but those players are now back to help the guys who have performed so strongly during this period."