The record for most points in a first half of Champions Cup knockout rugby stood for less than three hours. Earlier in the day Bordeaux-Bègles and Harlequins shared 40 points in the opening 40 minutes of their spectacular show.
Northampton Saints and the Bulls from Pretoria cleared that by 10 as they combined for seven first-half tries in a back and forth game that must have caused neck pains for supporters on the halfway line. From almost every attack, ball carriers ran over or around defenders. A further five tries were added by the end as the Saints won the slugfest to advance to the semi-finals of Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2011.
