🔗 Share this article George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Rout Bulls Saints winger Hendy also scored a try in last week's 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 bagged a triple as Northampton made it maximum points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half. The Bulls were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the interval but a yellow card to prop 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 contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton went top of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The manner of this win, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Henry Pollock broke before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an error from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before sending a sweet left-footed kick over the line for 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 adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the final minute. Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the group meet in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol Bears 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)
Saints winger Hendy also scored a try in last week's 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 bagged a triple as Northampton made it maximum points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half. The Bulls were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the interval but a yellow card to prop 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 contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton went top of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The manner of this win, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Henry Pollock broke before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an error from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before sending a sweet left-footed kick over the line for 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 adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the final minute. Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the group meet in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol Bears 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)