🔗 Share this article Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Hammer Pretoria Bulls Saints winger George Hendy also 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 the Saints secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the second half. International Fin Smith added 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line. But an mistake from the winger 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, Northampton had their second try as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the break. Saints were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to deceive the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent day for Northampton in the final minute. Rematch of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The leading pair in the pool will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, host Bristol Bears in their next outing 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 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 the Saints secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the second half. International Fin Smith added 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith contributed 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise last week, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line. But an mistake from the winger 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, Northampton had their second try as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the break. Saints were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to deceive the onrushing defense before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent day for Northampton in the final minute. Rematch of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The leading pair in the pool will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, host Bristol Bears in their next outing 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)