Saracens 71 Viadana 7: Jack and Russell provide bite for Saracens' bark

No one is better acquainted than Saracens with the danger of hailing a false prophet in their own land but the club believe they have finally got their overseas recruitment spot on.

Their Australian director of rugby, Alan Gaffney, has quietly piloted Sarries to third place in the Premiership, the semi-finals of the Anglo-Welsh Cup and, after this 10-try win, top place in Pool Four of the Heineken Cup. The debuts on Saturday of a Springbok and an All Black Brent Russell and Chris Jack respectively make a tidy Tri-Nations trio to suggest the second half of the season can be approached with confidence.

Glasgow's victory over Biarritz in the other Pool Four match yesterday gave Saracens encouragement on the European front. They are among only a handful of English sides who have the strength to contemplate such multi-tasking across the competitions. "It was a good game to get going in," Russell said, after a three-month hiatus forced by a broken collarbone he suffered within a fortnight of joining his new club. "I was still a bit rusty and the opposition in the future will be a lot tougher."

Viadana may offer stiffer opposition in the return match in northern Italy this weekend, but the difference between the two squads were summed up in the second row. Viadana had Dion Waller, whose All Black career began and ended with one substitute appearance in Argentina in December 2001, up against Jack who made his Test debut five months earlier and accumulated 67 caps. Waller's match might have finished in the 44th minute when, with Saracens 36 points up and coasting, he raked Saracens' Dave Seymour in a ruck and was shown the yellow card.

Russell had a hand or foot in two of the wing Richard Haughton's three tries against the doughty but under-strength Italians. Though 13 of his last 16 Test appearances for South Africa were from the bench, he looks to have the quality to prosper at this level.

Glen Jackson's remarkable kicking 10 out of 11 from all angles in the wind and rain helped nail Saracens' record Heineken Cup win though it was short of the 151 points they once put on Dinamo Bucharest in the Challenge Cup.

Jack will miss the next Italian job due to a prior commitment with a sponsor of the All Blacks in France but he should return at Harlequins in the Premiership as Saracens aim to sustain their impressive momentum.

Saracens: Tries Matadigo, Haughton 3, Hill, Ratuvou 2, Johnson, Jackson, Penalty; Conversions Jackson 9; Penalty Jackson. Viadana: Try Howarth; Conversion Howarth.

Saracens: B Russell; R Haughton, K Sorrell, A Farrell (A Powell, 67), K Ratuvou (E Thrower, 73); G Jackson, N de Kock (capt; A Dickens, 54); N Lloyd, F Ongaro (A Kyriacou, 57), C Visagie (C Johnston, 40), H Vyvyan (I Fullarton, 70), C Jack, S Matadigo (D Seymour, 32), R Hill, B Skirving.

Viadana: G Law; R Mariani (C Spadaro, 40), S Pace, M Harvey, A Accorsi; C Howarth (C Pilat, 57), S Bortolussi (C McGrath, 40); P Sciamanna, A Moretti (capt; R Santamaria, 58), I Rouvet (M Cagna, 57), C Bezzi, D Waller, S Harding (A Benatti, 40), L Persico, M Vella (J Erasmus, 40).

Referee: P Gauzere (France).