George Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Rout Pretoria 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 scored a hat-trick as Northampton made it maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls.
Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock scored the fourth try inside an hour as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the latter period.
The Bulls were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes.
England fly-half Fin Smith contributed 10 points from the tee as Saints moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux 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 Northampton could not have asked for a better start as they aim to improve on that this season.
Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock made a break before passing to Ollie 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 was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes.
Ten minutes later, Saints had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith put George Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the break.
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 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 deceive the onrushing defense before delivering a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third score.
Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials.
Northampton capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the hosts registered three tries in five frantic minutes.
George Hendy wrapped up his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments.
Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints
The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament resumes in January as Northampton travel 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 two matches, host Bristol next 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)
