Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Bulls

The young winger scored a hat-trick as the Saints secured a perfect ten points from their first two European games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls.

Ollie Sleightholme crossed twice and Pollock scored the fourth try inside an hour as a commanding Northampton side ran riot in the latter period.

The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the break but a sin-binning to prop Alulutho Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they failed to register a point in the second half.

International Smith contributed 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of Pool Four on points difference from holders Bordeaux-Bègles with the two teams on 10 points.

The manner of this victory, following a 35-27 victory on the road at Pau previously, means last season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a more ideal beginning as they look to improve on that this season.

Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter failed with an early shot at goal before Saints opened the scoring when Pollock broke before feeding Ollie Sleightholme who showed his pace to race clear to the try line.

But an error from Sleightholme let the Bulls back in as the ball slipped from his grasp in contact, allowing Pretoria winger Stravino Jacobs to hack the ball forward and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes.

Shortly after, Saints had their second try as quick hands from Mitchell at the base of a ruck and then Smith put George Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle.

Northampton were dominant in both ball and field position and were being aided from the opposition fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to reinvite pressure onto 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 grab his second and Saints' third.

Pretoria forward Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a tripping offense on Iyogun. The prop was adamant he had been responding to a trip just prior by Iyogun but the contact from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the officials.

Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the try bonus point through Henry Pollock before Coles and Sleightholme scored as the home team registered three scores in five frantic 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 afternoon for Northampton in the final minute.

Rematch of Last Season's Final Awaits Saints

The top two teams in the pool will face off in a rerun of last year's final when the tournament resumes in January as Saints travel to Bordeaux. Northampton then conclude the group phase with a home game against Scarlets on January 18th.

The Bulls, who have one point from their opening two games, welcome Bristol Bears next before traveling to 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)