AN offer to join the reigning European champions is tempting at any time. When it arrives just after your present club has been relegated - well, it’s the sort of situation for which the term ‘no brainer’ was invented.

Certainly, Sean Maitland did not have to think too long or too hard when Saracens came calling. The Scotland winger had hoped for far better things when he joined London Irish from Glasgow Warriors last summer, and when the exiles were demoted from the English Premiership recently, he knew he would have to move for the sake of his career.

The 27-year-old’s move was only confirmed yesterday, and, with the close season having just begun, it will be a while before he joins up with his new colleagues. But it would be fair to say that he is already feeling the benefit of the move, not least because it has all been sorted out in advance of his departure with the Scotland squad for their two-Test tour to Japan.

And of course, Maitland’s return to the national squad has given him another reason to be cheerful. After being injured prior to the Six Nations game against Wales, he failed to win back his place for the subsequent games in the championship, thus missing out on the victories over Italy and France. Now he is back in the fold, and training with the rest of the squad at Murrayfield prior to departure for the far east at the weekend.

“It was a pretty easy decision to join the champions,” he said yesterday after the first session of the training camp. “It’s been a tough year. When I signed at the club I didn’t expect to find myself in a relegation battle.

“There are a lot of great people at London Irish and it’s a shame the way things have turned out. People’s livelihoods and jobs are at stake.

“When Saracens came knocking it was an easy decision to sign. We have a Scottish contingent there with Duncs [Duncan Taylor], Kelly [Brown] and Jim [Hamilton]. Everybody I talk to says great things about the club. Playing in the Championship would not have helped me with Scotland, so that was a key [reason for the move] as well.

“It’s good for the mind, actually. When you’re playing but not getting the results, your confidence does take a hit, especially in a relegation battle. You’re just trying to grind out games and when you’re losing, even when you’re playing good footy, that has an effect on you mentally as well.

“That was the first experience I’ve had like that - I’ve come from teams that have won trophies. But I’m just grateful Sarries were interested. Everything’s about timing and your position, so I was just very lucky.”

The timing of that hamstring injury before the Wales game was not so fortunate. It might have been hard in any event to get back into a Scotland team that was clearly making significant improvements, but head coach Vern Cotter told Maitland that there was more to his exclusion from subsequent games than that.

“I had my hamstring problems, I got over that hump, [then] round the Italy game Vern and I had a chat and he said a few things I needed to work on,” he added. “That was the first time I wasn’t selected in the Scotland jersey, so it sort of gave me a kick up the bum. I really wanted to get back in that jersey and I’m just grateful to put it on for these two Tests and really excited for the next couple of weeks.

“It’s the end of a long season, but it’s only two Tests. It’s going to be difficult. There will be no complacency at all and I think there’s going to be a lot of attacking rugby.”

SCOTLAND Under-20s head coach John Dalziel believes his team are in good shape to meet the challenge of their Australian counterparts this evening in the opening game of the World Under-20s Championship. Twelve of the squad have played in the championship before, nine of whom are in the starting line-up for the match at the AJ Bell Stadium in Manchester.

“We’ve gone for an experienced team, which we feel has the right blend to execute our game plan as well as dealing with the threats Australia will pose,” Dalziel said after announcing his squad yesterday. “We’ve had a good look at their team and style of play and we feel we have the ability to compete in all areas of the game.”

Scotland U20 (v Australia U20, today, 5.30pm): B Kinghorn; D Graham, R Hutchinson, T Galbraith, B Robbins; A Hastings, H Fraser; M McCallum, J Kerr, Z Fagerson, A Davidson, S Cummings, L Wynne, M Smith, J Ritchie. Substitutes: L Anderson, D Elkington, C Sheldon, A Craig, A Miller, C Shiel, G Taylor, C Gray.