Saints on rampage as Bulls fall apart

By GARY FITZGERALD 

Northampton Saints….. 59pts

Tries: Ramm 10, 47; Lawes 15, Sleightholme 20, Mitchell 24, 67;

Coles 40, Dingwall 50, Augustus 72

Conversions: Smith 11, 16, 21, 25, 41, 51, 68

Bulls …………………………….. 22pts

Tries: Hanekom 13, van der Merwe 31, de Klerk 35 Conversions: Smith 14, 36

Penalties: Smith 17

Alex Mitchell and James Ramm charged over for a brace of tries each as Saints ran a makeshift Bulls side ragged at Franklin's Gardens.

Phil Dowson's men hammered their South African opponents with nine fine tries in an easy Champions Cup romp.

Saints' dreams of finally being crowned European champions for a second time are looking bright and they took a big step closer to emulating the 2000 winning side.

An entertaining victory over a Bulls side without a host of its top Springboks stars saw them book their place in the semi-finals where they will face a mouth watering clash with Leinster at Croke Park. That will be a totally different and much tougher challenge than this was for them.

Prop Alex Waller said: “I'd like to think we can go on and do bigger and better things now. I'm very optimistic. Leinster will be a very big challenge but we will go there and give it a real shot.”

It was always going to be an open and high scoring game again a Bulls team missing a host of their leading Springboks stars. And so it proved, with bells on.

Seven tries in a fast and furious first half thrilled the crowd and showed that both sides were going to throw caution to the wind.

Saints began the contest knowing a trip to Dublin was the prize if they could get over the Bulls hurdle placed in front of them. And they went about the process of seeing off their rivals like hyenas who had been starving for a week.

Full-back James Ramm began the scoring fun by throwing a dummy after a swift Saints attack and charging over for the opening try which Fin Smith converted.

Bills replied in style with No.8 Cameron Hanekom using his power and momentum to take a couple of tacklers with him across the Saints line. Chris Smith added the extras only to see Courtney Lawes plough his way over from another fine break. The forward only just managing to ground the ball as he was turned on his back.

Smith closed the gap with a Bulls penalty but the hosts again found it so easy to break through the visitors' defence as quick precise passing allowed Ollie Sleightholme the chance to open the throttle and race across for a try.

The home crowd sat back expecting more points. But they saw the South Africans celebrate a quick twin strike.

Hooker Akker van der Merwe darted over in the left hand corner after taking a pass from the back of a ruck.

Moments later Sebastian de Klerk picked off Alex Mitchell's pass as Saints looked set to score another try just yards from the line. Instead he had to watch the wing race down the field for a Bulls try.

It showed Bulls were not going to sit back and take the punishment without a response. Saints flew out of the second-half traps with outside centre Tommy Freeman breaking clear and feeding the supporting Alex Coles for the fifth try. It had taken them 43 seconds to make another big statement.

Ramm dived over for his second as Saints found large holes in the visitors' defence. Bulls' hopes of a recovery were damaged when they had a try ruled out and were reduced to 14 men. They lost Hanekom to a yellow card for a tip tackle on Fraser Dingwall earlier in the move.

Worse was to come for them. Saints took full advantage with Dingwall charging over for a try form a bad Bulls lineout.

Mitchell made sure there was no way back for a Bulls side blowing hard with his second try, sliding over for the eighth try with 11 minutes remaining.

Juarno Augustus can usually be relied upon to get his name on the scoresheet. And the powerful No.6 did just that six minutes from time as Saints finished the professional and impressive job in style.