Sean Maitland is thrilled his Saracens team-mate and Scotland room-mate Duncan Taylor is back in the national side for the crucial pool game against Ireland on Sunday, and backing him to make an impact.
Maitland and Taylor haven’t played much for the European champions together in the last two years because of the centre’s injury problems, but the big-game finisher for the European champions paid tribute to Taylor’s fighting spirit.
“Really, the whole club at Sarries rallied behind him because it’s been such a tough old couple of years,” said Maitland. “It’s our first game together for probably two years, but I’ve been rooming with him for three months now and we’ve got a good old vibe happening in the room.
“I’m just stoked to be sharing the field with him. Fair play to what he’s been through – to get through all of that and to be starting in the World Cup is incredible, no-one would have given him a chance of that after basically smashing every ligament in his knee.
“He’s in good form and is looking fit, and we all know what he can do.”
The pair can bring a bit of that Sarries killer instinct to Scotland in this World Cup, Maitland thinks.
“I guess there are parts of our game that we pride ourselves on such as the kick chase, that are little things that people probably don’t notice on the television or when they go to a game.
“We’ve just been trying to bring that extra 5%, that extra edge, maybe where we’re trying to get up off the line and hit boys.
“DT especially is a real leader in our defence and that’s something we really pride ourselves on at Sarries.”
As for his full-back, Maitland is keen to get on to a few easy “lollipop” finishes from chances produced by Scotland’s biggest try creator.
“When you have the attributes like Hoggy you can put people away, and I’ve been on the end of a couple of lollipop tries when he attracts a couple of defenders, that’s all happy days for me,” he laughed.
“Hoggy’s just grown over the past three or four years – he’s become a really mature player and a real leader within the team. He’s on an upward trend and is getting better and better every year, what is it now seventy caps for a 26-year-old? That is pretty impressive.”
Maitland has been impressed by buzz of the long pre-season camp, but they’re all glad the shadow punching is over and want to get stuck in.
“We had a good week at Nagasaki, where it was pretty good, pretty chilled, but it’s all happening now.
“It’s been a great week’s preparation in Tokyo, we’ve ticked every box, and it was good to get to the stadium today and to get a feel for things.
“We heard the weather might be better than expected, too, which was good to know. What a start, with such a big game – you couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m just stoked that I’m involved.”
