🔗 Share this article Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Rout Bulls Northampton's George 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 George Hendy bagged a triple as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the latter period. The Bulls were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the interval 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 final forty minutes. International Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line. But an error from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Saints were dominant 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, stepping inside to deceive the advancing defence before delivering a sweet left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Northampton's third score. Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an excellent afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun 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 returns in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, host Bristol next before traveling to 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 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 George Hendy bagged a triple as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the latter period. The Bulls were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the interval 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 final forty minutes. International Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line. But an error from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Saints were dominant 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, stepping inside to deceive the advancing defence before delivering a sweet left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Northampton's third score. Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an excellent afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun 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 returns in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, host Bristol next before traveling to 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)