News about Sean Maitland

CHRIS FOY: The league phase of the Premiership season will reach a thunderous climax on Saturday afternoon, when five games kick off simultaneously at 3.05pm across the country. Remarkably, seven clubs are still in the title hunt, after 17 rounds of fixtures. It is a resounding tribute to the competitive nature of English rugby's top division. Northampton are already assured of a home semi-final and champions Saracens are certain of a play-off, but still must ensure it takes place at their StoneX Stadium. Bath, Sale, Exeter, Harlequins and Bristol are all vying to make the cut.

ALEX BYWATER: Saracens and Sale Sharks meet in Twickenham on Saturday afternoon in the 2023 Gallagher Premiership final. The top division of English rugby has had a turbulent season. With both Worcester and Wasps defunct, financial uncertainty has rocked the region, and it is likely that London Irish will follow suit next week. However, the final is still the crown jewel in the Premiership's crown.

ALEX BYWATER: Sean Maitland's protracted Saracens stay was 'last minute.com,' and the wing believes he has a chance of landing a 'last minute.com' and a late spot in Scotland's World Cup squad. Maitland, a New Zealand-born boy, hasn't played a Test for his adopted country since 2021 and has been left out of his international head coach Gregor Townsend's extended training party for the international showpiece in France later this year. Despite being a regular performer in England's Gallagher Premiership with Saracens, he has yet to appear. You might expect Maitland to be ill.

AT THE STONEX STADIUM: Sean Maitland is expected to be offered a new deal after his controversial double helped Saracens book their place at Twickenham. In the 39th second of Saturday's victory over Northampton, the winger was fortunate not to be suspended for punching out George Furbank. In a tyrant 38-15 victory, he scored twice, with Saracens' strong defense holding Northampton to just three points in the first half.

SIMON AT STONEX STADIUM: There was no doubt that the better team prevailed, but the best result would come with a big asterisk. Saracens is one of the competition's top finalists, with Twickenham as the favorites, whether they face Sale or Leicester. They swallowed up Northampton with their defensive brilliance but the outcome was overshadowed by a major 'What if?'What if Sean Maitland's wild challenge on George Furbank after 39 seconds had been given the sanction it warranted?

In Saturday's Six Nations opener against England, Scotland has opted not to throw Zander Fagerson straight back into action. Despite being sidelined since the start of December with a hamstring injury, Glasgow forwards coach John Dalziel said on Tuesday that he was in contention for the Calcutta Cup showdown. However, the management have decided to give the 2021 British and Irish Lions squad member more time to get up to speed as he was not included in the squad for Twickenham's match this weekend.

After a moment of Lionel Messi-esque brilliance in Lyon, Jamie George said he was never going to be part of an English exodus to France. The England hooker scored one attempt and created another in the same week as his team won their first two games from as many Champions Cup victories. After Wasps' demise, George has seen his international colleagues Luke Cowan-Dickie and Sam Simmonds leave Exeter to sign for Montpellier, while Jack Willis has travelled to Toulouse.

At Matmut Stadium, Alex Bywater: On Friday night, the Christmas market in Lyon's Place Carnot thronged with festive shoppers as the locals braved the French temperatures to hunt for festive gifts. Saracens aren't known for giving generously to their rivals, but after Mark McCall's guys gave up a 15-0 lead and fell to 14 men, it seemed they were eager to give out a gift of their own at Matmut Stadium. In the end, the Premiership team had to win this one twice. That they did was no mean feat. The Champions Cup is unquestionably not what it was. This week, it has just been strongly chastised. However, this was a classic Anglo-French European confrontation. It ebbed and flowed.