Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Saints Hammer Pretoria Bulls

George Hendy scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria.

Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock scored the fourth try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team cut loose in the second half.

The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a yellow card to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they did not score a point in the second half.

International Fin Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Saints moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points.

The manner of this win, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau last week, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to improve on that this season.

Pretoria's number ten Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line.

But an mistake from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to kick on and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes.

Shortly after, Saints had their second try as fast passing from Alex Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Fin Smith sent Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the break.

Northampton were on top in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the away side.

That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to wrong-foot the advancing defence before delivering a sweet left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third score.

Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the match officials.

Northampton capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the home team notched three tries in five frantic minutes.

Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an outstanding 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 last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup resumes in January as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. The Saints then round off 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 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)