England locks George Kruis and Maro Itoje have both signed new long-term deals with Premiership leaders Saracens, the London club announced yesterday.
The second row duo will remain with Saracens until at least 2019. Kruis, 26, and Itoje, 21, both played significant roles in England’s Six Nations title success earlier this season that saw the team win its first grand slam since 2003.  
The European Champions Cup semi-finalists announced that 21-year-old Itoje and Kruis, 26, will remain at Allianz Park until at least 2019.
Kruis and Itoje, who both came through the Saracens youth set-up, were two of the outstanding players in this season’s Six Nations.
Itoje produced a brilliant all-round display in England’s win over Wales at Twickenham last month, while the consistent Kruis starred throughout the tournament. The Saracens duo are now set to be England’s first-choice lock-pairing when coach Eddie Jones takes the side to his native Australia for a three-Test series against the Wallabies in June.

‘Easy decision’
With reigning champions Saracens top of the Premiership table and in the semi-finals of the European Champions Cup, further club as well as international honours are on the horizon and Itoje said: “I am lucky to call Sarries home, and I am delighted to extend my contract for three more years.
“It was an easy decision from the outset, as I’ve really enjoyed my rugby so far, and I am incredibly grateful for the help and guidance I have received since arriving at the club as a 14-year-old.
“The club is hugely ambitious and has been competing at the highest level for some time.
“As a player, you want to be playing in the big games, and once again we are well placed in both the Aviva Premiership and European Champions Cup this season. It’s a special club to play for, and I’m really happy to be staying.”
Meanwhile Kruis added: “Saracens is a club that is in my heart, and I didn’t hesitate to sign a new deal to stay here.
“I owe so much to the club, and I am really looking forward to my future at Allianz Park. What’s really important to me is that as a young group of players we are all committing our futures to the club together.
“I am playing alongside my best mates and working alongside them day-in, day-out, and that means a lot to me. We’ve already achieved so much as a group of players, and there is still so much more to come from us. I am delighted to be staying here.”
The announcement of Kruis and Itoje’s new contracts came ahead of Saracens’ league clash against London rivals Harlequins at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, for which an impressive 77,000 tickets have already been sold.
“They (Itoje and Kruis) have been in superb form this season for both club and country,” said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall. “They are only going to get better and better as players, and we’re excited about them doing it here at Saracens.
“Maro’s progress over the last few seasons has been phenomenal. He has experienced a lot of big games for the club already, has played for England and is still only 21 years old, which is incredibly exciting.  
“In George, we have one of the finest lock forwards around, a player who has shown consistent improvement year on year and still has so much more to come.”