THE Saracens careers' of Chris Jack and Brent Russell got off to an emphatic start as the Men in Black crushed Viadana 71-7 in a one-sided Heineken Cup clash at a rain-soaked Vicarage Road this afternoon.

Jack, the celebrated All Black lock, and South African speedster Russell both made their first stars for their club and the pair caught the eye with a series of assists as an irresistible Saracens side made it two wins out of three in Pool Four and recorded their biggest winning margin in the competition.

Richard Haughton claimed a hat-trick and it was his second score that ensured the Men in Black had the all-important bonus point wrapped up by half-time.

Sarries will fancy their chances of repeating the trick in the return match in Italy next week following this ten-try demolition. Glen Jackson will also be licking his lips at the re-match with the Italians after helping himself to a 26-point-haul.

The set-piece was always going to be decisive on such a filthy afternoon and director of rugby Alan Gaffney will have been delighted with his side's impressive line-out work.

Their first four tries arrived from line-out moves, with the first coming after just five minutes. After Hugh Vyvyan had collected a throw from Fabio Ongaro, the Men in Black turned on the power and Sakiusa Matadigo was driven over from the rolling maul.

Another take from Vyvyan, enjoying a fine season in the second-row, led to try number two on 12 minutes. He deflected a throw from Ongaro to Neil de Kock who shipped the ball to Jackson who sent Haughton skating through and he slid over despite the attempts of two Viadana tacklers.

The Men in Black suffered a blow on 27 minutes when Matadigo left the field with concussion on his home debut, forcing Richard Hill to switch to the open side and Dave Seymour come on at blindside.

The switch, however, failed to disrupt the home side's rhythm and it was Hill, the World Cup winner, who emerged with the ball from the pile of bodies after yet another line-out drive for try number three on 33 minutes.

Sarries were now rampant and they put the tie out of the visitors' reach with two tries in the final three minutes of the half.

A line-out take from Jack culminated in Russell sending Haughton scooting over in the right-hand corner. Jack them demonstrated his handling skills soon after, producing a sumptuous off-load to the overlapping Ratuvou who left the Viadana defence for dead as he raced over for the fifth try of a riotous first 40 minutes.

While Gaffney decided to allow Cobus Visagie to put his feet up for the second half - replacing the tight head with crowd favorite Census Johnston - things went bad to worse for the struggling visitors who lost second-row Dion Waller to a yellow card after he stamped on Seymour.

Sarries made them pay a heavy price for their poor discipline, driving Johnston over from the subsequent line-out for their sixth-try of the match.

The hapless visitors were given some reason to cheer on 55 minutes when Calvin Howarth sprinted the three-quarters of the length of the field for a try after intercepting a pass from Andy Farrell.

However it proved to be only temporary respite for the Italians as 60 seconds later the Men in Black had crossed the whitewash for a seventh time, Haughton collecting Russell's grubber to complete his hat-trick.

Alan Dickens came on for de Kock soon after and he saw his half-back partner, Jackson, glide over for try number eight on the hour following another line-out take from the imperious Jack.

A flowing backs move involving Jackson and Russell resulted in the latter unselfishly laying on Ratuvou for his second, and the team's ninth, on 65 minutes. It was now a question of how many Sarries would get. Russell thought he had claimed a try on his debut soon after but the referee called play back for a knock on.

The crowd, who witnessed some impressive rugby in tricky conditions, had to wait a while for the Men in Black to hit double figures, referee Pascal Gauzere awarding the home side a penalty try just before the final whistle.

Saracens: Russell, Haughton, Sorrell, Farrell (Powell 67), Ratuvou (Thrower 72), Jackson, de Kock (Dickens 56); Lloyd, Ongaro (Kyraicou 62), Visagie (Johnston 40), Vyvyan (Fullarton 70), Jack, Matadigo (Seymour 29), Hill, Skirving.

Scorers: Tries: Haughton (3), Hill, Ratuvou (2), Matadigo, Johnston, Jackson, penalty try Cons: Jackson (9) Pen: Jackson.

Viadana: Law, Mariani, Pace, Harvey, Accorsi, Howarth, Bortolussi; Sciamanna, Moretti , Rouyet, Bezzi, Waller, Harding, Perisco, Vella.

Replacements: Santamaria, Erasmus, Cagna, Benatti, Pi;at, McGrath, Spadaro.

Try: Howarth Con: Howarth Ref: Pascal Gauzere (France) Att: 5,982.