SARACENS got their new Premiership campaign off to a flying start with a rare Twickenham triumph over old rivals Wasps, running out deserved 29-19 victors.

First half tries from Hugh Vyvyan and Adam Powell gave the Men in Black a deserved 9-16 half time lead before man-of-the-match Neil de Kock landed the killer third four minutes into the restart.

Fly half Gordon Ross, in for the injured Glen Jackson, kicked 14 points as Alan Gaffney's men bossed the game throughout against a disappointing Wasps outfit deprived of several key players to the World Cup.

Ian McGeechan's overawed side finally crossed the line with 15 minutes left through replacement Joe Ward, but Saracens always looked in control.

Some of their attacking play was a joy to behold while the defence - epitomized by the talismanic Kris Chesney - repelled the few promising attacks Wasps created.

Their bright start to the game was rewarded with a third minute penalty. After Ben Skirving stole a Wasps line out, scrum half Mark McMillan held on from Gordon Ross's box kick and the Scot makes no mistake in front of the posts.

Wasps, with a nine stone weight advantage in the packs, looked decidedly out of sorts and were let off the hook when Tom Ryder knocked on with the line in sight after Saracens cranked up the pressure.

But Sarries, cheered on by their hordes of fans, were eventually rewarded for their patient approach play with the first try of the game after 16th minutes. After several phases involving a penetrating half break from Kevin Sorrell, Vyvyan picked up the ball from the base to drive over. Ross failed to add the extras with his kick striking the outside of the right post.

Minutes later, Wasps got off the mark through a Danny Cipriani penalty after Sarries came in from the side.

However, things got even better for the Men in Black on 22 minutes. After several promising phases, skipper de Kock pinged the ball out left for Adam Powell, who took up a fantastic diagonal line to cross the whitewash, despite Cipriani's attempts to stop him with an arm around the neck which went unpunished.

Tom Ryder, the young second row, was not as fortunate however, as he was sent to the cooler after a professional foul in a ruck.

Ross and Cipriani traded penalties but it was Sarries who headed into the interval upbeat.

Saracens took the game by the scruff of the neck and increased their lead further in the 44th minute.

After Sarries trundled the ball into the Wasps half, de Kock picked the ball up at the breakdown 30 metres out and, with Wasps anticipating the pass, the former Springbok spotted a gaping hole in their defence before leaving last man Cipriani flat footed to crash over to the right of the posts. The score prompted a celebratory raise of the arms from the usually reticent Sarries boss Alan Gaffney and Ross added the extras to make it 9-23.

Cipriani then notched his fourth penalty of the afternoon but Ross cancelled that out with another of his own soon after, the former Leeds and Castres man clearly enjoying his return to the Premiership.

Fraser Waters then received a yellow card as Wasps struggled to contain Saracens and their effective expansive game plan, Chesney this time falling inches short of the line following some sublime incisive passing kick-started by a fine burst of pace from Sarries debutant Francisco Leonelli.

Ross fired over the penalty and the result should have been put out of sight moments later but Dan Scarbrough knocked on with Leonelli in space outside him.

Ross made Wasps pay for more indiscipline with another fine penalty on the hour, leaving Wasps two converted scores and a penalty behind.

Adam Powell was then caught with his hands in the ruck and Wasps kicked into the corner knowing a try was needed. Tom Mercey then became the second Sarries played to be sin binned after grabbing the legs of an opponent in a scrum.

Wasps made the advantage count with replacement Joe Ward crashing over for Cipriani to convert.

After Ross was penalised for a deliberate knock on, Wasps kicked into the corner. However, replacement prop Kevin Yates and the rest of the pack put in a huge drive to turn possession over five metres from their own line.

With two minutes left Ross failed with a drop goal before the Heineken Cup holders countered, but Sarries were already home and dry.

Wasps: Cipriani, Doherty (Van Gisbergen, 59) Waters, Waldouck, Voyce, Flutey, McMillan; French (Payne, 40), Buckland (Ward, 54), Barnard (Holford, 55), Birkett, Palmer, Hart (cpt), Skivington, Haskell.

Saracens: Scarbrough, Penney, Sorrell, Powell, Leonelli (Thrower, 73), Ross, de Kock (cpt); Lloyd (Yates,55) Cairns, Mercey, Ryder, Vyvyan, Chesney, Hill (Lloyd, 68; Seymour for Lloyd, 76), Skirving.