🔗 Share this article Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Pretoria Bulls Northampton's 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 scored a hat-trick as the Saints made it a perfect ten points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the bonus point 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 interval but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they aim to go one better this season. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks 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 perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool meet in a rerun of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in the new year as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol 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)
Northampton's 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 scored a hat-trick as the Saints made it a perfect ten points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls. Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the bonus point 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 interval but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a star performance. The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they aim to go one better this season. Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break. Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks 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 perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five frantic minutes. Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Saints in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool meet in a rerun of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in the new year as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th. The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol 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)