Sean Maitland return now up to Danny Wilson as Dave Rennie sees out Warriors tenure

No more games but Glasgow head coach still on top of players’ training while in lockdown

Since his club, Saracens, have been demoted as a disciplinary measure, Sean Maitland has been linked with a return to Glasgow. Picture: Getty

Outgoing Glasgow Warriors coach Dave Rennie says any decision on a possible return to Scotstoun of experienced Scotland wing Sean Maitland will be down to his successor Danny Wilson.

Maitland has been linked with a comeback to his former side in the wake of the troubles at his current club Saracens, who have been demoted from the English Premiership after being found guilty of a salary-cap breach.

New Zealand-born Maitland, who has scored 15 tries in 48 Scotland matches , played for Glasgow between 2012 and 2015.

Rennie said: “From a recruitment point of view, it is now Danny’s portfolio and he is in constant conversation with our coaching group, with planning and recruitment. He would be the best one to talk to.”

The Kiwi coach accepts he won’t lead Glasgow in a match situation again, with rugby and sport in general off the agenda for some time, but remains head coach until the end of June and is still taking his responsibilities seriousy, albeit remotely from his home in Stirlingshire.

“We are in constant contact with all our players. We are calling them every week,” he said. “The boys have done a really good job of keeping connected. They are all in small groups as well and we have quizzes every Thursday.

“There’s lots of stuff happening over Zoom and WhatsApp and various things. A lot of guys are in a pretty positive state of mind. It is different because they are used to having schedules and so on. They have routines and they are trying to make the most of the situation, enjoying the opportunity to get out and train once a day and maximise time with family.

“All the guys who have overseas relatives are obviously trying to connect with them all the time. I guess that the not knowing is the challenge. At the moment the boys are still working hard waiting for some clarity around what will happen. I guess that can play on the mind but overall the boys are in a pretty good state, keeping connected and helping each other out.”

Rennie revealed that Fijians Mesu Dolokoto and and Leone Nakarawa, who returned on a short-term deal to the end of the season at New Year, were the only two squad members not in Scotland.

“They pretty much got the last plane out of Scotland when it was clear that things were shutting down and we weren’t going to come back in a hurry. Their partners and kids are back in Fiji, so instead of being locked in isolation on their own for months here we thought it important to get them home. We are still in touch with those guys to make sure they are training and so on. They are the only two.”

Rennie said any talks on Nakarawa extending his stay would also be down to Wilson.

The Guinness Pro14 season is still not technically abandoned but Rennie is realistic and said his favoured option would be for Leinster, who have been unbeaten and so dominant to be declared 2019-20 champions.

•A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director