Hendy Hat-Trick 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
The young winger bagged a triple as the Saints secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls.
Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the latter period.
The Bulls were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the interval but a sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the second half.
England fly-half Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points.
The manner of this victory, coming after a 35-27 victory on the road at Section Paloise 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 in this campaign.
Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before the hosts took the lead when Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line.
But an mistake from the winger allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes.
Ten minutes later, Saints had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith sent Hendy over to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle.
Saints were on top in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the away side.
That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, stepping 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 Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the match officials.
Saints capitalized of having the numerical advantage to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the home team registered 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 and final try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the final minute.
Rerun of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints
The leading pair in the group will face off in a rerun of the previous season's final when the tournament resumes in the new year as Saints head to Bordeaux-Bègles. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a fixture at home against Scarlets on 18 January.
The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears in their next outing before an away trip 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)
