π Share this article George Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Demolish Bulls Saints winger 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 bagged a triple as Northampton secured maximum points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a commanding Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the second half. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this victory, following a 35-27 away win at Pau last week, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal 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 try line. But an error from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith put George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the away side. That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been responding to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Season's Final Next for Saints The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament returns in the new year as Saints head to Bordeaux-BΓ¨gles. Northampton then round off the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, 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)
Saints winger 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 bagged a triple as Northampton secured maximum points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a commanding Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the second half. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this victory, following a 35-27 away win at Pau last week, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal 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 try line. But an error from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes. Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith put George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the away side. That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been responding to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts registered three scores in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Season's Final Next for Saints The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament returns in the new year as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then round off the group phase with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, 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)