Referee Luke Pearce was not a happy man as England team-mates Genge and Pollock inevitably collided
England team-mates Ellis Genge and Henry Pollock were involved in an altercation within the first minute of Northampton’s incredible match against Bristol on Friday night.
The pair bumped into each other during an early passage of play, with Genge reacting by grabbing Pollock round the neck and tossing him to the turf. Pollock did well to completely ignore the initial incident, impressing fans with his self-control after his antics on the field a week before drew criticism.
However, a melee and exchange of words ensued some time afterwards as Genge seemed keen to target his England team-mate.
Angry referee Luke Pearce blew his whistle to step in, shouting: “Henry, Ellis, both of you! Come here, you as well, I don’t want to hear a word from anybody.
“Have I got your attention? We spoke to both directors of rugby earlier in the week about player behaviour…”
Speaking directly to Genge he said: “I don’t expect you to be using that language to a player who is on the floor.”
“Next time anything happens it is a penalty.”
It remains to be seen if Genge is cited for the initial incident with Pollock.
It turned out to be a humbling night for Genge as his side were remarkably beaten 94-33 as records tumbled.
Saints scored 14 of the 19 tries and recorded the most first-half points scored by any team in PREM history (61) as they put their loss at Leicester emphatically behind them.
Bristol’s semi-final hopes now look in tatters as they fell to a record league defeat and lie four points behind fourth-placed Exeter ahead of their match against Harlequins on Saturday.
A crazy night started with Northampton striking with just over three minutes played, Pollock’s long pass led to Hendy scoring down the left.
Bristol quickly levelled when Harry Thacker squeezed over, but Saints were just as swift in retaking the lead when Rory Hutchinson ran in after his side won possession deep in Bears territory.
The hosts had a third try after 11 minutes when Fin Smith’s pass meant for Tommy Freeman went to ground, but no knock-on meant Callum Chick could kick ahead before grounding the ball.
The Bears were soon back within five points at 19-14 when a swift move involving Harry Randall and Rich Lane led to Louis Rees-Zammit flying in to score down the right.
But their hopes of a turnaround took a big blow when Kalaveti Ravouvou was sin-binned for deliberately knocking on George Furbank’s pass inside his own 22.
Northampton were ruthless in his absence, with Alex Coles securing the bonus point on his return from injury before Archie McParland picked up Freeman’s loose pass to run in his side’s fifth try.
Hendy’s ball inside to set up Furbank made it a half-dozen before half an hour had been played and there was not let-up after Ravouvou’s return as Hutchinson had an easy finish for his second.
Quick passing from Coles and Chick then led to Josh Kemeny running in untouched before Hendy finished the half as he started to make it nine first-half tries for Northampton.
With Joe Batley in the sin bin for Bristol, for a late hit on Smith, there were three more scores in the first six minutes of the second half as Pollock and a second for McParland for Saints sandwiched a Randall effort for the ragged Bears.
Hendy made it a hat-trick by running in the hosts’ 12th try in the 52nd minute, but after Northampton lock Ed Prowse was yellow-carded, Lukas Ivanishvili snuck in for Bristol’s fourth.
The Bears had another consolation when Noah Heward scored under the posts, but after Matias Moroni saw yellow for tripping Pollock, Sam Graham stretched over for Saints before Hendy’s fourth completed the rout.