Maitland decides to stick with Saracens

SCOTLAND winger Sean Maitland has signed a twoyear contract extension at Saracens that keeps alive his hopes of going on his second British and Irish Lions tour. The 31-year-old was part of Warren Gatland’s triumphant squad in Australia in 2013 but missed out on selection for the New Zealand trip four years later. Maitland’s fine form for Scotland in their first four Six Nations games meant he was already a candidate for next year’s tour to South Africa where his experience will be invaluable against the world champions. There had been attempts by his former club Glasgow Warriors to tempt him back but he has decided to remain with Sarries despite their relegation to the English Championship for breaching salary caps. Playing in a lower division is unlikely to count against Maitland when it comes to Lions selection as his teammates include Owen Farrell, Jamie George and Maro Itoje, who are also expected to remain on Gatland’s radar. Capped 48 times, Maitland (right) has played his part in some of Saracens’ biggest moments over the past four years, scoring crucial tries in last season’s Heineken Champions Cup and Premiership final successes. Asked about his decision to pledge his future until 2022, he said: ‘It was a bit of a no-brainer for me. My family love it here, we’re settled and I wanted to stay because I love being here and I love what the club is about and the people that are in it. ‘We’re one big family. That comes right from the top, from the owner, into the group and the academy.’ Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: ‘Sean has made an outstanding contribution to our club over the last four years both on and off the field. ‘He has taken his game to a new level during that time and has had a great influence on some of our younger players. ‘To have a player of Sean’s quality and experience commit his future to the club is a huge boost.’