🔗 Share this article George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer 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 scored a hat-trick as Northampton made it a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a dominant Northampton side ran riot in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. International Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they look to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were dominant in possession and territory and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Kade 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 perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the hosts registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy wrapped up 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 final minute. Rerun of Last Season's Final Next for Saints The top two teams in the pool meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome 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 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 scored a hat-trick as Northampton made it a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a dominant Northampton side ran riot in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. International Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they look to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were dominant in possession and territory and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Kade 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 perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the hosts registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy wrapped up 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 final minute. Rerun of Last Season's Final Next for Saints The top two teams in the pool meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome 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)