NICK LLOYD says he is out to repay the faith and patience shown in him by Saracens after admitting he failed to live up to expectations in previous seasons.

The loose-head prop is now in his fourth season with the Men in Black and, along with free-scoring lock Hugh Vyvyan, has discovered a new lease of life after revealing his patchy form of the past two seasons had left him bewildered and frustrated.

He is currently keeping England international Kevin Yates out of the starting line-up and is already just five appearances short of the 14 he made last season, which is testament to the strides he has made in the last five months.

"For various reasons I underperformed in the last couple of seasons, so it's been nice to get a run of games this year and show the fans and my team-mates what I am capable of," said the affable 31-year-old. "Maybe I have taken longer than I should have done to hit form but I now feel I'm starting to prove what I can do.

"I had opportunities but I just didn't take them. You have the likes of Kevin Yates who will come in as soon as I don't perform. No-one has a divine right to start.

"I've sat in the stands too much over the past two seasons and it's now time to repay the faith everyone at the club has shown in me."

The former Rotherham Titans powerhouse was plagued by injuries last season and admitted he was unsure if the club were going to reward him with a 12-month contract extension, which they did late last year.

"It was certainly a close run thing as to whether I was going to be offered a contract this season but I was happy to sign when it did come," he added. "I know I have more to give than what I have shown so far. At 31 I'm getting on a bit but I still feel my best years are ahead of me."

Lloyd is flourishing under the brand of full-tilt rugby Alan Gaffney has developed at Vicarage Road. Providing Sarries with a speedier option in the front row, he loves to play with the ball in hand, as highlighted by a barnstorming run from deep against Biarritz earlier this month after he somehow found himself in scrum-half Neil de Kock's territory.

"Agrophobia is a terrible thing," he laughed when reminded of his stunning surge. "I came to Saracens having carried the ball at a few of my previous clubs. It was just fortuitous that I happened to be in the right place at the right time against Biarritz."

"The style we are trying to play suits me," added the well-spoken Lloyd. "It's a touch more expansive than in previous seasons but I like to think I get around the pitch pretty well now."

Lloyd helped Sarries to their first Heineken Cup quarter final at the expense of Glasgow Warriors in his adopted country on Friday, and he still has designs on forcing his way back into the international set-up.

Qualifying through his Scottish grandmother, Lloyd was a regular in Scotland's training squads under Aussie coach Matt Williams, but all that ended when Frank Hadden succeeded him in September 2005.

The prop then forced his way into the Scotland A squad for their 2006 Churchill Cup, only for a broken foot suffered in Richard Hill's testimonial to rob him of the chance.

"I've love to be involved with Scotland again but all I can do is keep my place in the side at Saracens and push on from there," added Lloyd. "I want to improve my ruck hitting, ball carrying and if you look at guys like Sale and England prop Andrew Sheridan, these guys can do everything nowadays. I've got to try and evolve my game and not just be about hitting scrums and line-outs, but to offer more around the pitch."