🔗 Share this article George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Demolish Pretoria Bulls Northampton's George 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 George Hendy bagged a triple as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half. International Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to race clear to the try line. But an error from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Saints were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Northampton's third score. Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an outstanding day for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the pool meet in a rerun of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in January as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a home game against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears next before traveling to face 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 George 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 George Hendy bagged a triple as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half. International Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to race clear to the try line. But an error from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Saints were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Northampton's third score. Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an outstanding day for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the pool meet in a rerun of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in January as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a home game against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears next before traveling to face 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)