Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Saints Hammer Bulls

George Hendy scored a hat-trick as Northampton secured maximum points from their opening two European games with an eight-try thrashing of the Bulls.

Sleightholme crossed twice and Henry Pollock scored the fourth try inside an hour as a dominant Saints team ran riot in the second half.

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

International Fin Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints went top of Pool Four on superior points difference from holders Bordeaux with both sides on 10 points.

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

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 the tackle, allowing Pretoria winger 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 fast passing from Mitchell at the ruck base and then Smith put Hendy over in the corner to make it 14-5 at the half-time whistle.

Saints were on top in possession and territory and were being aided from Bulls fly-half Kade Wolhuter who failed to find touch with penalty kicks to bring the pressure back on the visitors.

That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to wrong-foot the onrushing defense before sending a perfectly weighted left-footed kick over the line for George Hendy to grab his second and Northampton's third.

Bulls prop Tshakweni was then sin-binned for a trip on Emmanuel Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been responding to a trip momentarily before by Iyogun but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled accidental when reviewed by the match officials.

Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to clinch the bonus point through Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme scored as the hosts registered three scores in five frantic 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 Northampton in the final minute.

Rerun of Last Season's Final Next for Saints

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

The Bulls, who have a single point from two matches, welcome Bristol Bears in their next outing before traveling 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)