🔗 Share this article Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Bulls Northampton's Hendy previously 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 the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they look to improve on that this season. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the line. But an error from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second try and Saints' third. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five frantic minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an excellent day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rerun of last year's final when the tournament resumes in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then round off the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears in their next outing before an away trip face 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 previously 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 the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the second half. The Bulls were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points. Fin Smith contributed 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they look to improve on that this season. Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the line. But an error from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the away side. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second try and Saints' third. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the match officials. Saints capitalized of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five frantic minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an excellent day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rerun of last year's final when the tournament resumes in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then round off the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears in their next outing before an away trip face 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)