DAN SCARBROUGH could not have chosen a better time to produce his best game in a Saracens shirt.

In front of England assistant coach Joe Lydon and against his former club, the England three-quarter embellished a display brimming with pace and panache with a try and an assist as Sarries blew Leeds away in an exhilarating first-half.

"It was a massive day for Scabs," said director of rugby Steve Diamond. "He had a lot injuries last year and it was a great performance by him against his old club. He was shaky under the first high ball but he regained his composure after that and played really well."

Even Phil Davies, the Leeds director of rugby who plucked Scarbrough from obscurity, was delighted to see the Bingley-born 26-year-old back in action after his first season at Vicarage Road was disrupted by shoulder surgery and a twice-torn hamstring "I was pleased for Scabs, he was back to his best - it's just a shame that it was against us," said Davies. "He is a lovely lad and I know he has been working hard to get back from injury and looked sharp today."

Said Scarbrough: "It was good to get 80 minutes under my belt and I felt I played reasonably well. There are still parts of my game that I need to sort out like my kicking but it was all credit to the forwards as they beat them up from minute one. They gave us the platform to attack us out wide and if the forwards dominate it makes it so much easier for the backs."

Scarbrough certainly revelled in the space created by the forwards and he feels the full-back berth provides him with the best chance to flourish.

"I do prefer full-back," said Scarbrough, who was switched to the wing after Tevita Vaikona was replaced as a pre-caution.

"It just gives me that bit more freedom to have a go. On the wing you sometimes feel a little bit out of the game and you rely very much on the guys inside you but at full back you can get yourself involved a lot more often. I'm hoping to stake a claim for that place but there is a lot of competition in the side."

Asked about his England ambitions, Scarbrough replied: "I've not really got that at the forefront of my mind at the moment. I just need to get through 80 minutes on a consistent basis and do well for Saracens. You never know whose watching and that's something I've always kept in my mind when I've played the game."