🔗 Share this article George Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Saints Hammer Bulls Northampton's 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 George Hendy scored a hat-trick as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team ran riot in the latter period. The Bulls were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a sin-binning to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Northampton went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The manner of this victory, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they look to go one better in this campaign. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before feeding 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 slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Northampton 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 away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third. Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three scores in five frantic minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the final minute. Rerun of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The leading pair in the group meet in a rerun of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol 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)
Northampton's 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 George Hendy scored a hat-trick as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team ran riot in the latter period. The Bulls were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a sin-binning to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Northampton went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The manner of this victory, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they look to go one better in this campaign. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before feeding 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 slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Northampton 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 away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third. Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three scores in five frantic minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the final minute. Rerun of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The leading pair in the group meet in a rerun of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol 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)