🔗 Share this article Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Pretoria Bulls Saints winger 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 The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the second half. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot 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 previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning 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 made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game 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 reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith put Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were on top in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin 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 collect his second and Northampton's third. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when looked at by the officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an excellent day for Saints in the final minute. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the group will face off in a rerun of last year's final when the tournament returns in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol in their next outing before traveling to 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)
Saints winger 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 The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the second half. The visitors were within touching distance with the score fourteen-five at the break but a yellow card to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot 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 previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning 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 made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game 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 reply after 22 minutes. Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith put Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the break. Saints were on top in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors. That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin 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 collect his second and Northampton's third. Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when looked at by the officials. Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the home team registered three tries in five minutes. George Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth and final try of an excellent day for Saints in the final minute. Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints The top two teams in the group will face off in a rerun of last year's final when the tournament returns in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th. The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol in their next outing before traveling to 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)