🔗 Share this article Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Rout Pretoria Bulls Saints winger George Hendy also 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 the Saints made it a perfect ten points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the second half. England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points from the tee as Saints moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise previously, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the line. But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the break. Northampton were dominant in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense 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 looked at by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament resumes in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then round off the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, welcome Bristol in their next outing 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)
Saints winger George Hendy also 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 the Saints made it a perfect ten points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the second half. England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points from the tee as Saints moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise previously, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the line. But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the break. Northampton were dominant in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense 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 looked at by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament resumes in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then round off the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, welcome Bristol in their next outing 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)