ON THE BLINDSIDE

Premiership champions Saracens are said to be ‘quietly confident’ that they will be able to agree a new long-term contract with England and Lions lock Maro Itoje when he returns from the World Cup.
Blindside understands that behind-the-scenes progress has been made in talks after we revealed that leading French clubs were reluctant to meet his wage demands for a switch across the channel.
Itoje, below, who is celebrating his 29th birthday this week, will still have to take a massive cut in his £900,000 a season wages to continue his Saracens career that’s yielded five Pre...