George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Rout 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 the Saints secured 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 before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team ran riot in the second half.
The visitors were within touching distance with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to forward Alulutho 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 Northampton 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 victory, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise previously, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that in this campaign.
Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before the hosts opened the scoring when Henry Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace 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 as quick hands from Alex Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith sent George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle.
Saints were dominant in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the visitors.
That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, darting inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third score.
Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Emmanuel Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the officials.
Northampton seized the opportunity of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Coles and Ollie Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three tries in five frantic minutes.
George Hendy completed his triple with 12 minutes remaining and Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the final minute.
Rematch of Last Year's Final Awaits Saints
The top two teams in the pool meet in a rerun of the previous season's final when the tournament returns in the new year as Northampton head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then round off the group phase with a home game against the Scarlets on January 18th.
The Pretoria Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, welcome Bristol Bears next before an away trip 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)
