🔗 Share this article George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer 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 hammering of Pretoria. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of Pool Four on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the line. But an error from the winger 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 reply after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Saints had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were on top in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, darting inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third. Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an excellent day for Saints in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol 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 hammering of Pretoria. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of Pool Four on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the line. But an error from the winger 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 reply after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Saints had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were on top in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, darting inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third. Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an excellent day for Saints in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol 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)