SARACENS went someway to erasing the memory of successive cup defeats by putting Newcastle Falcons to the sword in emphatic fashion at Vicarage Road on Friday night.

Tries from Taine Randell, Kris Chesney, Hugh Vyvyan and Ben T Russell plus 12 points from the boot of Glen Jackson secured a bonus-point victory which lifts the Men in Black up to seventh in the Zurich Premiership.

The fact that all four tries were scored by forwards was fitting as it was the rampant pack who laid the foundations for the win. Cobus Visagie was the pick of a front-row that had Newcastle in all kinds of trouble at the scrum, Chesney was immense alongside Iain Fullarton in the second-row, while Dave Seymour continues to add to his swelling reputation with another all-action display in the back-row.

Perhaps most pleasing for head coach Steve Diamond, though, would have been the return to form of fly-half Glen Jackson. The Kiwi missed five out of seven attempts at goal last week, but he went a long way to restoring his reputation with a match-winning display that brought him 12 points and three assists.

Jackson and Matt Burke, the Australian who was offered to the Men in Black before signing for Newcastle, swapped penalties in the opening quarter of a match that finally came to life when Randell, the former All Black's captain, dived over for his fourth try of the season.

Jackson missed the conversion but six minutes later he supplied the scoring pass for Chesney to rampage his way through the Falcons midfield and over the try-line for a score that sent the crowd in raptures.

Sarries' next try on 52 minutes would have particularly sweet for Hugh Vyvyan. Against his former club and in front of the England head coach Andy Robinson, the Sarries captain crashed over the line after another telling contribution from Jackson.

The Men in Black had to wait until four minutes from time for the try that clinched the bonus point; Ben Russell, the replacement flanker, sprinting under the posts after good work from Tevita Vaikona and even a consolation score from Ollie Phillips in the dying seconds failed to take the gloss off a hugely impressive victory.

For a more detailed report, plus interviews with Cobus Visagie, Glen Jackson and Hugh Vyvyan, don't miss Friday's edition of the Watford Oberver.