Hendy Scores Three as Eight-Try Northampton Rout Pretoria Bulls

The young winger bagged a triple as Northampton secured maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of Pretoria.

Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a commanding Saints team ran riot in the latter period.

The visitors were still in the game with the score fourteen-five at the interval but a yellow card to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a unnecessary trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the second half.

England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Northampton moved to the summit of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points.

The nature of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau previously, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a more ideal beginning as they aim to improve on that this season.

Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before the hosts took the lead when Henry Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line.

But an error from the winger let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in the tackle, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes.

Shortly after, Saints had their second as fast passing from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith sent Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the break.

Saints were on top in both ball and field position and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto the visitors.

That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the creator, stepping inside to deceive the advancing defence before sending a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for Hendy to collect his second and Saints' third score.

Bulls prop Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials.

Northampton capitalized of having the numerical advantage to secure the try bonus point through Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts registered three scores in five minutes.

George Hendy completed his hat-trick with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent day for Northampton in the dying moments.

Rerun of Last Season's Final Next for Saints

The leading pair in the group will face off in a rematch of the previous season's final when the Investec Champions Cup resumes in January as Northampton travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the pool stage with a fixture at home against the Scarlets on 18 January.

The 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)