George Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Rout Bulls

The young winger scored a hat-trick as Northampton secured a perfect ten 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 bonus point try inside an hour as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half.

The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to forward Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the final forty minutes.

England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton went top of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with the two teams on 10 points.

The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Section Paloise previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have asked for a better start as they aim to go one better in this campaign.

Bulls fly-half Wolhuter missed an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before passing to Ollie Sleightholme who demonstrated his speed to race clear to the line.

But an mistake from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show blistering pace of his own to reply after 22 minutes.

Ten minutes later, Saints had their second as quick hands from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Fin Smith put George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle.

Northampton were on top in both ball and field position and were being given a helping hand from the opposition fly-half Kade Wolhuter who twice missed touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the visitors.

That told after 48 minutes when Fin Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a perfectly weighted grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third.

Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip just prior by the Saints player but the incident from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials.

Saints seized the opportunity of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts registered three scores in five frantic minutes.

Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Kemeny walked over for the eighth try of an outstanding afternoon for Saints in the final minute.

Rerun of Last Season's Final Next for Saints

The top two teams in the group will face off in a rematch of last year's final when the tournament returns in the new year as Saints head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a home game against the Scarlets on January 18th.

The Bulls, who have a single point from their opening two games, host Bristol 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)