🔗 Share this article George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Hammer Bulls Northampton's Hendy previously scored a try in the previous win against Pau. Investec Champions Cup Pool Four Northampton Saints (14) 50 Tries: Sleightholme 2, Hendy 3, Pollock, Coles, Kemeny Cons: Smith 5 Pretoria Bulls (5) 5 Tries: Jacobs The young winger scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau last week, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line. But an error from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith put Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Northampton were on top in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to deceive the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Northampton's third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five minutes. Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the final minute. Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the group will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol in their next outing before an away trip Pau. Line-ups Northampton: Furbank; Sleightholme, Hutchinson, Dingwall, Hendy; F Smith, Mitchell; Fischetti, Wright, Davison, Coles, Van der Mescht, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock Replacements: R Smith, Iyogun, Kundiona, Munga, Prowse, Graham, James, Thame Bulls: Williams; Petersen, Gans, Vorster, Jacobs; Wolhuter, Burger; Tshakweni, Van der Merwe, Smith, Wiese, Van Heerden, Coetzee, Ludwig, Louw Replacements: Else, Sithole, Mchunu, Gumede, Carr, Papier, Johannes, Van Niekerk Yellow card: Tshakweni (53) Match Officials Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco) Assistant referees: Rob McDowell (Sco) and Dave Sutherland (Sco) TMO: Mike Adamson (Sco)
Northampton's Hendy previously scored a try in the previous win against Pau. Investec Champions Cup Pool Four Northampton Saints (14) 50 Tries: Sleightholme 2, Hendy 3, Pollock, Coles, Kemeny Cons: Smith 5 Pretoria Bulls (5) 5 Tries: Jacobs The young winger scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau last week, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line. But an error from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith put Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Northampton were on top in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to deceive the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Northampton's third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five minutes. Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the final minute. Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the group will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol in their next outing before an away trip Pau. Line-ups Northampton: Furbank; Sleightholme, Hutchinson, Dingwall, Hendy; F Smith, Mitchell; Fischetti, Wright, Davison, Coles, Van der Mescht, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock Replacements: R Smith, Iyogun, Kundiona, Munga, Prowse, Graham, James, Thame Bulls: Williams; Petersen, Gans, Vorster, Jacobs; Wolhuter, Burger; Tshakweni, Van der Merwe, Smith, Wiese, Van Heerden, Coetzee, Ludwig, Louw Replacements: Else, Sithole, Mchunu, Gumede, Carr, Papier, Johannes, Van Niekerk Yellow card: Tshakweni (53) Match Officials Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco) Assistant referees: Rob McDowell (Sco) and Dave Sutherland (Sco) TMO: Mike Adamson (Sco)