🔗 Share this article George Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Demolish Pretoria Bulls Saints winger Hendy previously 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 scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the latter period. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they look to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the line. But an error from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on 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 perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card 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 unintentional when reviewed by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three scores in five minutes. Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an excellent afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the group meet in a rerun of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol Bears 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 Hendy previously 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 scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the latter period. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they look to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the line. But an error from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on 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 perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card 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 unintentional when reviewed by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three scores in five minutes. Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an excellent afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the group meet in a rerun of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol Bears 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)