- Sean Maitland scored two tries in Saracens’ convincing win on Sunday
- The victory booked Saracens place in the Premiership final against Sale
- Maitland is set to get a contract extension to take his deal beyond this season
Sean Maitland is set to be rewarded with a new contract after his controversial double helped Saracens book their place at Twickenham.
The winger was lucky not to be sent off for taking out George Furbank in the 39th second of Saturday’s victory over Northampton.
He went on to score twice in a commanding 38-15 win, with Saracens’ dominant defence limiting Northampton to just three points in the first half.
Maitland is out of contract at the end of the season and England winger Anthony Watson has been lined up as a potential replacement.
The 34-year-old has been linked with a move back to Scotland but head coach Mark McCall confirmed a new deal has been signed and could be announced this week. With Maitland remaining at the forefront of Saracens’ plans, McCall faces a back-three selection dilemma for the final after Elliot Daly impressed from the bench.
‘We’re in the luxurious position that we’ve got incredible players,’ said McCall. ‘Max Malins has been superb of late and I thought Sean was great. He scored two tries but some of his defensive reads were great.
‘Alex Goode had a strong game and Elliot did well when he came on. It’s a tough choice, and it always is to leave someone out.’
McCall described the display as his side’s ‘strongest defensive performance for years’ and they go into the final as favourites to claim their first title since 2019.
They want to make amends for last year’s final defeat by Leicester and if they can blend their defensive and attacking game then they will be hard to stop.
‘I reminded the players during the week about a meeting we’d had in August last year, post losing the final,’ said McCall.
‘The aim was to be playing our best rugby by the end of the season. It felt pretty good out there, really physical and in control. We were able to combine calmness and composure with being unbelievably aggressive and physical and that’s a good place to be as a team.’
Tries from Ivan van Zyl, Malins and a penalty score sealed the victory, while Northampton rallied briefly in the second half through James Ramm and Alex Mitchell.
Northampton’s coach Phil Dowson said: ‘Statistically this season, we have the best attack in terms of points scored and one of the worst defences, so you can draw your own conclusions from that in terms of where we need to be better. You’re not going to win many semi-finals conceding 38 points.
‘In general, we’re in a really good space. We’ve got a very strong board who are pragmatic and make good physical decisions. We’ve got a bright MD.
‘With what’s happened with Wasps and Worcester, we’re fortunate to have that stability. My only concern is how we perform week to week. I’m incredibly proud of their efforts throughout the season.’