Max Malins has Saracens’ Premiership rivals on red alert after revealing he is on a mission to make up for last season.
The England wing is coming off a campaign in which he scored 16 times in 15 appearances to land the Premiership’s top try scorer award.
He bagged four against Wasps, four against Worcester and a hat-trick against Bath as Sarries made the Grand Final on their first year back in the top flight after enforced relegation.
Yet Malins lost his England place both for the climax of the Six Nations and Australia tour and the north London club finished without a trophy for only the second season since 2014.
“It was disappointing,” said the Cambridge-born flyer. “I wanted to be on that tour representing my country. I wasn’t exactly pleased with my performances in the Wales and Ireland games.
“At the club we got to the Prem final, didn’t win that; got to the semi-final of Europe, didn’t win that. Many players here have won titles, that’s what drives us. So our motivation couldn’t be higher.”
Saracens are the last cab off the rank, having been the odd team out when the 13-league Premiership kicked off last weekend.
They are also favourites with bookmakers to win their fifth title in nine years.
But an opening game at arch rivals Harlequins, whom they beat in the semi-finals in June, will be one of their toughest tests all season.
“For it to come so early is a treat for the fans but a massive challenge for us, it being our first competitive game,” Malins admitted.
“We know the challenge, know the rivalry, we’re expecting a tough game.”
Malins, 25, is as exciting an outside back as there is in the English game, with Sarries boss Mark McCall likening him to All Blacks star Beauden Barrett.
But he concedes he has yet to show his best at Test level and returned for pre-season driven to make that step up.
“I’m not sure I’ve shown what I am about on the international stage yet,” he admitted. “I haven’t quite hit my straps playing for England.
“We all put expectation on ourselves at this club. Last year we got close but didn’t quite get there. We don’t talk about that but it is in the back of our minds.
“We want to see how far we can take this group, how good we can become. There’s room for growth. We know it, we’ve just got to try and unlock it.”
