George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Hammer Pretoria Bulls

The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton made it maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls.

Ollie Sleightholme scored two tries and Henry Pollock secured the fourth try before the hour mark as a dominant Saints team cut loose in the latter period.

The visitors were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the break but a sin-binning to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes.

England fly-half Smith added 10 points from the tee as Northampton moved to the summit of their pool on superior points difference from defending champions Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points.

The nature of this win, following a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise last week, means last year's losing finalists Northampton could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better this season.

Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter failed with an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Henry Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line.

But an mistake from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes.

Ten minutes later, Saints had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith put Hendy over to make it fourteen to five at the half-time whistle.

Northampton were on top in possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to reinvite pressure onto the away side.

That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, darting inside to deceive the onrushing defense before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third score.

Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when reviewed by the officials.

Saints capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Coles and Ollie Sleightholme scored as the hosts notched three tries in five minutes.

George Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Northampton in the dying moments.

Rerun of Last Season's Final Next for Saints

The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. The Saints then round off the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on 18 January.

The Pretoria Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol Bears next 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)