Hendy hat-trick as eight-try Saints hammer 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 Northampton made it maximum points from their opening two Investec Champions Cup games with an eight-try hammering of the Bulls.

Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the bonus point try before the hour mark as a dominant Saints team cut loose in the second half.

The Bulls were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a yellow card to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved very costly and they failed to register a point in the second half.

England fly-half Fin Smith added 10 points from the tee as Saints went top of Pool Four on points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points.

The manner of this win, coming after a 35-27 away win at Pau last week, means last year's losing finalists Saints could not have hoped for a better start as they aim to go one better this season.

Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before Saints took the lead when Pollock broke before feeding Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the line.

But an error from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Bulls wing Stravino Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to reply after 22 minutes.

Ten minutes later, Saints had their second as quick hands from Alex 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 possession and territory and were being given a helping hand from Bulls fly-half Wolhuter who twice missed touch with clearing penalties to bring the pressure back on the visitors.

That told after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to wrong-foot the advancing defence before sending a sweet left-footed kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second and Saints' third.

Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the contact from the Saints replacement prop was ruled accidental when looked at by the officials.

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

Hendy wrapped up his hat-trick with 12 minutes remaining and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth try of an excellent afternoon for Saints in the final minute.

Rerun of last year's final next for Saints

The top two teams in the pool meet in a rerun of last year's final when the Investec Champions Cup returns in January as Saints head to Bordeaux. Northampton then round off the pool stage with a home game against Scarlets on 18 January.

The Bulls, who have one point from two matches, host Bristol next before before an away trip to 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)