Hendy Hat-Trick as Eight-Try Northampton Hammer Bulls

George Hendy scored a hat-trick as Northampton made it maximum points from their first two European games with an eight-try hammering of Pretoria.

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

The visitors were still in the game with the score 14-5 at the interval but a sin-binning to prop Tshakweni in the 53rd minute for a needless trip proved decisive and they did not score a point in the second half.

England fly-half Smith added 10 points with the boot as Saints moved to the summit of Pool Four on points difference from defending champions 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 season's runners-up Northampton could not have asked for a better start as they aim to go one better this season.

Pretoria's number ten Kade Wolhuter missed an early penalty before the hosts opened the scoring when Pollock made a break before passing to Sleightholme who showed his pace to sprint away to the try line.

But an mistake from Sleightholme allowed the Bulls back into the game as the ball was knocked on in contact, allowing Bulls wing Jacobs to kick on and show electric speed of his own to score after 22 minutes.

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

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

That proved decisive after 48 minutes when Smith was again the architect, stepping inside to wrong-foot the advancing defence before delivering a sweet grubber kick over the line for Hendy to grab his second try and Saints' third.

Pretoria forward Alulutho Tshakweni was then shown a yellow card for a tripping offense on Iyogun. Tshakweni was adamant he had been reacting to a trip momentarily before by the Saints player but the incident from the Northampton substitute was ruled unintentional when looked at by the match officials.

Northampton capitalized of having the extra man to secure the bonus point through Henry Pollock before Alex Coles and Sleightholme crossed as the hosts notched three scores in five minutes.

Hendy wrapped up his triple with twelve minutes left on the clock and Josh Kemeny strolled in for the eighth and final try of an outstanding day for Northampton in the dying moments.

Rematch of Last Season's Final Next for Saints

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

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