Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Demolish Bulls
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 a perfect ten points from their first 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 break but a yellow card to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the second half.
International Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints moved to the summit of their pool on points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points.
The manner of this victory, following a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise last week, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better this season.
Pretoria's number ten 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 demonstrated his speed to race clear to the line.
But an error from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Pretoria winger Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show blistering pace of his own to score after 22 minutes.
Ten minutes later, Saints had their second try as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith put George Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle.
Northampton 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 clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors.
That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to wrong-foot the advancing defence before delivering a sweet left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third.
Bulls prop Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was insistent he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when looked at by the match officials.
Saints capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes.
Hendy completed his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and 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 group will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Saints travel to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then round off the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on 18 January.
The Pretoria Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, host Bristol Bears next 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)
