Munster-Northampton this was not. Mark McCall, the director of rugby, called it Saracens' best performance of the season, but those who saw the way they walloped Leicester during the World Cup would certainly raise an eyebrow at that observation. It is fair to say that the home side completed their mission with relative ease, collecting a bonus-point try early in the final quarter. But that does not make it an epic.
Whether Saracens were going to register that fourth try was just about the only point of interest for the hardy few scattered throughout Vicarage Road. It was a matter of some doubt for the first half. Saracens went in 16-3 up at the break, gifted all of their points by the indiscipline and, on one glaring occasion, incompetence of Treviso. The Italians are a muscular bunch and will not be bullied, but their composure is too easily ruffled at this level, even if they are mid-table of what they now like to call the Rabo Direct Pro 12.
Ludovico Nitoglia made a terrible mess of a bobbling ball from the boot of Charlie Hodgson, and Owen Farrell, who scored all of those first 16 points, was on hand to dot down. But for that and the five kickable penalties Treviso coughed up, three of which were converted by Farrell, there was little to choose between the two sides in a half extended by 10 minutes because of an injury to Justin Melck, himself a blood replacement for Andy Saull. "The blood substitution is reversed" was the rather callous announcement, as Melck was carried off on a stretcher.
What was clear throughout, though, was the superiority of Saracens' handling and running lines across the face of a robust defence. That finally told when they scored their second try six minutes into the second half, David Strettle scything through off a fine inside ball by Schalk Brits. Only then could we safely say the bonus point was on.
It came courtesy of a two-try burst just past the hour. Chris Wyles went over in one corner after Hodgson had put Farrell through a hole, then a cut-out pass from replacement Andy Goode sent Ernst Joubert into the other. Interest over.
Except it was not quite. If there was any more it was to be found in the shape of two Saracens' replacements. Ben Spencer, a 19-year-old scrum-half, was thrown in early on after an injury to Neil de Kock and thrived, while at the other end of the spectrum John Smit, a World Cup winner of a certain age, came on for the final quarter to make his Saracens debut. Then he went and scored a rare try, driving over for Saracens' fifth with a couple of minutes to go. "I've been training hard for the past couple of weeks," he said, "but you don't really feel a part of it till you've done your bit on the field, so it's nice to finally play some rugby."
Smit's try was sandwiched by two late scores by Treviso, but at 35-3 down it was all a little late. Still, McCall expects Treviso to have a big say in the destiny of Pool Five. For Saracens, though, the next task is a trip to Biarritz, where the locals are hurting badly but are now emboldened by the return of their World Cup players. Things should get more epic from here on in.
Saracens Wyles (Goode, 62); Strettle, Farrell, Barritt (Powell, 65), Short; Hodgson, De Kock (Spencer, 18); Gill (Carstens, 56), Brits (Smit, 58), Stevens (Nieto, 56), Borthwick (capt; Kruis 65), Smith, Brown, Saull, Joubert.
Tries Farrell, Strettle, Wyles, Joubert, Smit Cons Farrell 4 Pens Farrell 3.
Treviso Nitoglia; De Jager, Benvenuti, Sgarbi, Williams; De Waal, Semenzato (Botes, 77); Rizzo (Rouyet, 52), Vidal (Sbaraglini , 48), Cittadini (Di Santo, 62), A Pavanello (capt; Padro 48), Van Zyl (Bernabo, 62), Vermaak, Zanni, Barbieri (Vosawai, 48).
Tries Sbaraglini, Padrò Cons De Waal 2 Pen De Waal
Referee J Lacey (Ireland). Attendance 5,077.
