Newcastle Falcons took a well-deserved four-try bonus point back up the M1 on Saturday as a power-packed Saracens side hammered home their play-off credentials.

The Londoners drew first blood and led by seven inside four minutes, Ivan van Zyl’s quick tap penalty followed up by Juan Martin Gonzalez – the Argentina flanker burrowing over the line from close range.

Fergus Burke converted, and he did so again on 10 minutes when hooker Theo Dan steered a 13-man maul over in the left corner after a penalty was kicked to touch.

Newcastle responded with a well-worked team try when late addition Max Clark put Alex Hearle through a hole- the winger feeding Sam Stuart on the inside for a score which Brett Connon converted.

The hosts hit back as Ben Earl picked up from the scrum base and barged is way over for an unconverted try down the right, but the visitors were making a game of it and probed the Saracens midfield with a string of encouraging runs.

Nonetheless, it was Sarries who were more clinical turning pressure into points, racking up the four-try bonus point on 23 minutes when Ivan van Zyl scored from an inside pass after a foray down the right-hand side.

Maro Itoje was next over as the England and Lions captain broke away from the base of a maul in the left corner, but the Falcons cut Sarries’ interval lead to 33-14 when Freddie Lockwood scored with the final play of the half.

Having kicked a penalty to the left corner and taken a series of five-metre scrums from further Saracens indiscretions, after four re-sets the pressure finally told as Lockwood crashed over from a close-range pick and go.

Brett Connon converted with the last kick of the half, but Saracens resumed their scoreboard supremacy two minutes into the second 40 when Gonzalez hit an arcing line from the 22 and sped in for the converted try.

The Argentine completed his hat-trick on 47 minutes when he scooped up a loose ball on halfway and raced in from 50 metres, but Newcastle kept on fighting and found a well-deserved try when Stuart sniped over from the base of a five-metre scrum.

Sarries responded through another maul in the left corner as Jamie George was driven over, but the visitors grabbed a well-deserved bonus point when Ben Stevenson raced 40 metres down the left to score his side’s fourth converted try.

Charlie Bracken hit back for the Londoners when the replacement sped over the line, with Earl and Willis adding late scores.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Max Clark (Oli Spencer, 24), 12 Sammy Arnold (Max Pepper, 67), 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart (Joe Davis, 54); 1 Adam Brocklebank (Micky Rewcastle, 67), 2 Jamie Blamire (Ollie Fletcher, 60), 3 Murray McCallum (Luan de Bruin, 54), 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 5 John Hawkins (Oscar Usher, 60), 6 Freddie Lockwood (Tom Gordon, 54), 7 Cameron Neild, 8 Callum Chick (captain).

Scorers – Tries: Sam Stuart 2, Freddie Lockwood, Ben Stevenson. Conversions: Brett Connon 4.

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode (Tom Willis, 59), 14 Tobias Elliott, 13 Elliot Daly​​​​​​​, 12 Nick Tompkins​​​​​​​, 11 Rotimi Segun (Angus Hall, 27)​​​​​​​, 10 Fergus Burke (Louie Johnson, 61)​​​​​​​, 9 Ivan van Zyl (Charlie Bracken, 60); 1 Eroni Mawi (Sam Crean, 55), 2 Theo Dan (Jamie George, 50), 3 Alec Clarey (Harvey Beaton, 55), 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 5 Nick Isiekwe, 6 Theo McFarland, 7 Juan Martin Gonzalez (Andy Onyeama-Christie, 48), 8 Ben Earl.

Scorers – Tries: Juan Martin Gonzalez 3, Theo Dan, Ben Earl 2, Ivan van Zyl, Maro Itoje, Jamie George, Charlie Bracken, Tom Willis. Conversions: Fergus Burke 7, Louie Johnson 3.

Referee: Jack Makepeace. Attendance: 9,204.