🔗 Share this article George Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Bulls Saints winger George 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 bagged a triple as the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try before the hour mark as a dominant 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 sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half. England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of Pool Four on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to go one better this season. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter missed an early penalty before the hosts opened the scoring when Henry Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third score. Bulls prop Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the match officials. Saints seized the opportunity of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an outstanding afternoon for Saints in the final minute. Rerun of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the group meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Saints travel to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, host Bristol Bears next before an away trip 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 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 the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try before the hour mark as a dominant 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 sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half. England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of Pool Four on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to go one better this season. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter missed an early penalty before the hosts opened the scoring when Henry Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third score. Bulls prop Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the match officials. Saints seized the opportunity of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an outstanding afternoon for Saints in the final minute. Rerun of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the group meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Saints travel to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, host Bristol Bears next before an away trip 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)