Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Hammer 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
The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria.
Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try inside an hour as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the second half.
The visitors were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the interval but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half.
International Fin Smith added 10 points from the tee as Saints moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points.
The nature of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Saints could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to go one better this season.
Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before the hosts opened the scoring when Henry Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to sprint away to the line.
But an error from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes.
Shortly after, Northampton had their second try as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent George Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle.
Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the away side.
That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, darting inside to wrong-foot the advancing defence before delivering a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to collect his second and Northampton's third.
Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials.
Saints seized the opportunity of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three tries in five frantic minutes.
Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments.
Rematch of Last Season's Final Next for Saints
The leading pair in the group will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament returns in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on January 18th.
The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome 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)
