🔗 Share this article

This English town may not be the most glamorous location on the planet, but its club delivers an abundance of thrills and drama.

In a town renowned for boot‑making, you could anticipate punting to be the Saints’ main approach. However under head coach Phil Dowson, the team in the club's hues prefer to run with the ball.

Even though playing for a distinctly UK community, they exhibit a flair typical of the greatest Gallic masters of champagne rugby.

Since Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the domestic league and progressed well in the European competition – beaten by a French side in the previous campaign's decider and ousted by Dublin-based club in a penultimate round before that.

They currently top the league standings after a series of victories and one tie and visit their West Country rivals on the weekend as the only unbeaten side, chasing a initial success at Bristol's home since 2021.

It would be natural to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight games for various teams in total, always planned to be a coach.

“When I played, I didn't really think about it,” he says. “Yet as you get older, you realise how much you enjoy the game, and what the everyday life looks like. I had a stint at a financial institution doing an internship. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was challenging – you grasp what you do and don’t have.”

Talks with club legends led to a role at Northampton. Move forward eight years and Dowson manages a team ever more filled with national team players: key individuals started for the Red Rose versus the All Blacks two weeks ago.

The young flanker also had a profound impact from the replacements in England’s perfect autumn while Fin Smith, in time, will assume the No 10 jersey.

Is the rise of this exceptional generation due to the team's ethos, or is it chance?

“It's a mix of each,” states Dowson. “I’d credit the former director of rugby, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the exposure they had as a collective is certainly one of the causes they are so close-knit and so skilled.”

Dowson also mentions his predecessor, a former boss at Franklin’s Gardens, as a significant mentor. “It was my good fortune to be mentored by highly engaging personalities,” he says. “He had a major effect on my professional journey, my training methods, how I interact with individuals.”

Northampton play attractive rugby, which became obvious in the example of Anthony Belleau. The Gallic player was involved with the French club defeated in the Champions Cup in the spring when the winger notched a three tries. The player liked what he saw sufficiently to buck the pattern of British stars moving to France.

“An associate rang me and remarked: ‘We've found a Gallic number ten who’s seeking a team,’” Dowson explains. “I said: ‘We don’t have funds for a overseas star. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He wants new challenges, for the possibility to prove his worth,’ my mate informed me. That intrigued us. We spoke to Anthony and his English was outstanding, he was articulate, he had a funny side.

“We inquired: ‘What do you want from this?’ He answered to be coached, to be challenged, to be outside his comfort zone and beyond the domestic competition. I was saying: ‘Join us, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he proved to be. We’re lucky to have him.”

Dowson comments the young Pollock brings a specific vitality. Has he encountered a player like him? “No,” Dowson replies. “Each person is unique but Henry is unusual and remarkable in numerous aspects. He’s not afraid to be who he is.”

The player's breathtaking score against Leinster last season showcased his exceptional talent, but a few of his animated on-field actions have resulted in claims of arrogance.

“He sometimes appears cocky in his behavior, but he’s not,” Dowson says. “Furthermore he's not taking the piss constantly. In terms of strategy he has input – he’s no fool. I think on occasion it’s shown that he’s merely a joker. But he’s bright and good fun to have around.”

Not many coaches would admit to sharing a close bond with a head coach, but that is how Dowson frames his connection with his co-coach.

“Sam and I share an interest regarding different things,” he explains. “We maintain a reading group. He aims to discover various elements, wants to know everything, aims to encounter varied activities, and I feel like I’m the alike.

“We talk about numerous things outside rugby: cinema, literature, ideas, culture. When we faced Stade [Français] in the past season, the landmark was undergoing restoration, so we had a quick look.”

One more match in France is looming: The Saints' comeback with the Prem will be temporary because the European tournament intervenes next week. Their next opponents, in the vicinity of the border region, are the initial challenge on matchday before the Bulls arrive at a week later.

“I’m not going to be arrogant enough to {