Saracens got their tour of Japan underway with an impressive win against Japanese side Sanix on Sunday, August 18.

The impressive nine-try victory over a Sanix side, featuring former All Blacks' Graeme Bachop and Jamie Joseph, follows on the back of a thumping pre-season win over Coventry and augers well for the final game of the tour on Sunday against National Champions Suntory in Tokyo.

Saracens Tom Shanklin, Tony Roques and Richard Haughton each scored a brace of tries during the game which saw Craig Quinnell, having recovered from a knee injury, make his first appearance for the club in the final minutes of the game.

Japanese international Kensuke Iwabuchi also impressed at both fly-half and scrum-half and capped an encouraging performance with a try.

"We gave a fairly sound performance," said head coach Wayne Shelford. "It was a good game for most of our players. We were exposed at times in defence, but that's rugby for you. Sanix did well too, and kept us thinking and on our toes.

"We've now got to step it up for Suntory by another 25-30 per cent to get ourselves ready for Premiership football in England."

August 23, 2002 11:30