🔗 Share this article Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Demolish Pretoria Bulls Saints winger George 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 George Hendy bagged a triple as Northampton made it maximum points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour 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 break but a yellow card to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half. International Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have asked for a better start as they look to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before feeding Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to race clear to the line. But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Saints were on top in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third score. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the pool will face off in a rerun of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol next before traveling to 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 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 George Hendy bagged a triple as Northampton made it maximum points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls. Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour 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 break but a yellow card to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half. International Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of their pool on points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have asked for a better start as they look to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before feeding Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to race clear to the line. But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith sent George Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Saints were on top in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, darting inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third score. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The leading pair in the pool will face off in a rerun of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol next before traveling to 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)