NEW signings and existing favourites talked up Saracens' chances of going one better this season, when the Men in Black congregated for their press day on Wednesday.

Super 12 stars Troy Coker and Jeremy Thomson - the final pieces in the jigsaw - were officially introduced to supporters and the media, while Francois Pienaar and Tony Diprose spoke of the need to banish last season to the memory and get on with the next chapter.

Coker, who has been capped 27 times by Australia, is a utility forward who played for Harlequins from 1988-1991. Previously with successful Super 12 side ACT Brumbies, the 33-year-old has signed a one-year contract.

South African centre Thomson, 31, has also starred in the prestigious southern hemisphere provincial competition with Natal Sharks and is the natural successor to Philippe Sella.

He has signed a two-year deal which, like Coker's, includes a facility for it to be extended.

Team administration manager Mike Scott explained where the new men will fit in.

"Jeremy has played Super 12 for a number of years and he is a high quality player.

"We have bought him to replace Philippe and if he performs well we will have a great player on our hands.

"Troy has been in the Australian squad this year and he will add lots to our squad. He can play either in the second or back row so he will replace both Ben Sturnham and Tony Copsey.

For Thomson, a move to Saracens may even kick-start a belated career with England.

His parents were born here and despite having an accent straight out of the veldt, it is believed he eligible to pull on the white jersey, having never represented South Africa in test rugby.

Indeed, a few years ago he spurned an invitation to play for Wales.

"I was over here playing for Edinburgh Academicals and working in bars in the day time.

"I mentioned to someone I thought I had a Welsh aunt and suddenly I was invited to play for the Welsh exiles in a game.

"I was then asked to join the Welsh Five Nations squad but I told them I wasn't exactly sure of my heritage. I was only 21 and wanted to return to South Africa in any case."

Wednesday also provided Saracens the opportunity to remind the rugby world of their other "new" signing, fly-half Alain Penaud, who joined in April but has yet to wear the black shirt in competitive action.

He struck a chord by telling the audience he had "not come to replace Michael" and the rest of the club's main men echoed this view. It will be a new, and hopefully stronger, Saracens team next season and the message was clear: dwelling on the achievements of the recent past will not be tolerated.

Director of Rugby Mark Evans said: "Four defeats last year was four too many. We have been working hard on putting together a new team for next season."

Francois Pienaar also identified room for improvement, saying: "What we need to do is score more tries. My dream is to play the perfect 80 minutes. That doesn't mean winning 80-0, it means playing at such a pace the crowd goes away thinking: "Wow, I want to come back and see more of that."

No fewer than 26 Saracens saw action in the club's first pre-season friendly, a 22-19 win at Pontypridd on Saturday.

Thomson, Gavin Johnson and Ryan Constable each scored tries against Neil Jenkins' full-strength Ponty side, while Johnson added a penalty and two conversions.

"Everybody came through well, including Richard Hill, who played his first game in six months," said Scott. "That was an important psychological boost for him. There were a number of plusses to take from the game, not least Richard waking up on Sunday morning in one piece."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.