🔗 Share this article George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Rout Pretoria Bulls Saints winger 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 The young winger bagged a triple as the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the fourth try inside an hour as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the latter period. The visitors were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the interval but a yellow card to forward 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 from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith contributed 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a better start as they aim to go one better this season. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before delivering a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to collect his second and Saints' 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 just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent afternoon for Saints in the final minute. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the pool will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears 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)
Saints winger 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 The young winger bagged a triple as the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the fourth try inside an hour as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the latter period. The visitors were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the interval but a yellow card to forward 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 from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith contributed 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a better start as they aim to go one better this season. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before delivering a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to collect his second and Saints' 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 just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent afternoon for Saints in the final minute. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the pool will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears 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)