🔗 Share this article Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Demolish Pretoria 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 scored a hat-trick as Northampton made it a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side ran riot in the latter period. The visitors were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the second half. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that 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 feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, 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 as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the away side. That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the hosts notched three tries in five frantic minutes. George Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The leading pair in the pool meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Saints head to Bordeaux. The Saints then conclude the pool stage 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 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 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 scored a hat-trick as Northampton made it a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria. Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side ran riot in the latter period. The visitors were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the second half. International Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points. Smith kicked 10 points in a man-of-the-match performance. The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that 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 feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line. But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, 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 as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break. Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the away side. That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third score. Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the officials. Northampton seized the opportunity of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the hosts notched three tries in five frantic minutes. George Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments. Rerun of Last Year's Final Next for Saints The leading pair in the pool meet in a rematch of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Saints head to Bordeaux. The Saints then conclude the pool stage 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 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)