🔗 Share this article Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Pretoria Bulls Saints winger 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 The young winger scored a hat-trick as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their opening two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the latter period. The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Smith added 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better this season. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Northampton were dominant in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks 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 delivering a sweet left-footed kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third. Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Saints seized the opportunity of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent day for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rerun of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host 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 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 The young winger scored a hat-trick as Northampton secured a perfect ten points from their opening two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the latter period. The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. England fly-half Smith added 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Fin Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better this season. Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Saints had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Northampton were dominant in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks 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 delivering a sweet left-footed kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third. Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been reacting to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials. Saints seized the opportunity of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes. George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent day for Saints in the dying moments. Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rerun of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup resumes in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January. The Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host 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)