🔗 Share this article Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Rout Pretoria Bulls Northampton's Hendy also 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 The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The manner of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Bulls fly-half Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the line. But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second try 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 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Northampton were on top in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third score. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the hosts notched three tries in five minutes. George Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the group meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol in their next outing before an away trip 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)
Northampton's Hendy also 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 The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The manner of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better in this campaign. Bulls fly-half Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the line. But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second try 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 14-5 at the half-time whistle. Northampton were on top in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third score. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the hosts notched three tries in five minutes. George Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the group meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol in their next outing before an away trip 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)