Hotshot Hendy seizes the day

GEORGE Hendy’s ‘Saints Super-sub’ status will be forever etched into Franklin’s Gardens folklore after his magical break eight minutes from time ensured Northampton celebrated the tenth anniversary of their first Premiership title by claiming their second at Twickenham yesterday.

- NICK CAIN

It took an amalgam of acceleration, power and balance from the flamehaired 21-year-old wing to set up the winning try for scrum-half Alex Mitchell, after surging 40 metres to torch the hopes of a fiercely combative Bath outfit.

Hendy had come on four minutes into the second half, just as 14-man Bath were in the process of dragging Northampton into deep water, despite losing loose-head Beno Obano only 20 minutes into the match for a high shoulder to the head of Saints No.8 Juarno Augustus.

Bath’s grit and determination saw them make light of the handicap as they bottled-up the best attacking team in the Premiership to take a 21-18 lead through a 66th minute Finn Russell penalty – and they looked capable of pulling off an epic against the-odds victory.

Northampton’s problems appeared to be compounded when fly-half Fin Smith, the league’s players player of the year, hobbled off with a leg injury 10 minutes from time. However, with Saints skipper George Furbank taking over at fly-half, and desperation building in Northampton’s ranks, they managed to pull it out of the fire, thanks to Hendy’s inspirational charge.

Receiving the ball from Furbank a couple of metres inside the Bath half, Hendy attacked the channel between Ollie Lawrence and Will Muir, and as the Bath pair tried to snare him he shrugged them off. Hitting full stride Hendy tore into the Bath 22, and as he was clattered by the cover he showed great strength to stay on his feet long enough to loop the crucial scoring pass inside to Mitchell.

The England scrum-half had not had the easiest of afternoons with his opposite number, Ben Spencer, and the outstanding Bath flankers, Sam Underhill and Ted Hill, hounding him around the breakdown. However, he had the legs and lungs to track Hendy’s break and collect his pass to touch down near the posts.