🔗 Share this article Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Saints Rout Bulls Northampton's 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 The young winger scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the latter period. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau 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 this season. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line. But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith put George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were dominant 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 away side. That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three tries in five frantic minutes. Hendy wrapped up his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Season'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 tournament returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol Bears 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)
Northampton's 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 The young winger scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured a perfect ten points from their first two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the latter period. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau 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 this season. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line. But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith put George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were dominant 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 away side. That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three tries in five frantic minutes. Hendy wrapped up his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Season'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 tournament returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol Bears 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)