Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints 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 secured a perfect ten points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria.
Sleightholme scored two tries and Pollock secured the fourth try before the hour mark as a dominant Northampton side cut loose in the latter period.
The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to forward Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the final forty minutes.
International Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Northampton went top of their pool on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles with both sides on 10 points.
The manner of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they look to go one better in this campaign.
Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts opened the scoring when Pollock broke before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to race clear to the line.
But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes.
Ten minutes later, Northampton had their second try as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it fourteen to five at the break.
Northampton were dominant in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the away side.
That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before sending a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third score.
Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was insistent he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when looked at by the officials.
Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the home team notched three tries in five minutes.
Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the final minute.
Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints
The leading pair in the pool 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 fixture at home against Scarlets on January 18th.
The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, host Bristol Bears 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)
