🔗 Share this article

This English town may not be the most exotic spot on the planet, but its rugby union team offers a great deal of romance and adventure.

In a city famous for boot‑making, you might expect kicking to be the Northampton's main approach. But under head coach Phil Dowson, the side in green, black and gold choose to retain possession.

Even though embodying a typically British location, they display a flair synonymous with the best French practitioners of expansive play.

Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty took over in 2022, Northampton have won the domestic league and progressed well in the Champions Cup – defeated by their Gallic opponents in the ultimate match and ousted by Leinster in a penultimate round earlier.

They sit atop the Prem table after multiple successes and a single stalemate and travel to their West Country rivals on the weekend as the just one without a loss, aiming for a maiden victory at their opponent's ground since 2021.

It would be typical to think Dowson, who participated in 262 elite matches for various teams altogether, always planned to be a trainer.

“When I played, I didn't really think about it,” he remarks. “However as you mature, you realise how much you love the sport, and what the real world entails. I had a stint at Metro Bank doing work experience. You travel to work a several occasions, and it was difficult – you grasp what you have going for you.”

Conversations with former mentors led to a job at the Saints. Move forward a decade and Dowson manages a squad increasingly packed with global stars: key individuals started for England against the the Kiwis two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a significant influence as a substitute in England’s flawless campaign while the number ten, down the line, will assume the No 10 jersey.

Is the development of this remarkable cohort because of the team's ethos, or is it fortune?

“It's a combination of the two,” says Dowson. “I’d credit the former director of rugby, who gave them opportunities, and we had difficult periods. But the practice they had as a unit is undoubtedly one of the factors they are so tight and so talented.”

Dowson also namechecks Mallinder, an earlier coach at the club's home, as a key figure. “I’ve been fortunate to be guided by highly engaging people,” he notes. “He had a major effect on my professional journey, my training methods, how I deal with people.”

Saints execute appealing the game, which was clearly evident in the instance of the French fly-half. The import was involved with the French club defeated in the Champions Cup in the spring when Tommy Freeman registered a hat-trick. The player admired the style sufficiently to go against the flow of British stars moving to France.

“A mate phoned me and stated: ‘There’s a fly-half from France who’s in search of a side,’” Dowson explains. “My response was: ‘We lack the budget for a French fly-half. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He desires a fresh start, for the chance to test himself,’ my contact informed me. That caught my attention. We spoke to Anthony and his English was incredible, he was eloquent, he had a funny side.

“We inquired: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He said to be trained, to be challenged, to be facing unfamiliar situations and beyond the domestic competition. I was like: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he turned out to be. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson states the emerging Henry Pollock offers a unique energy. Does he know a player similar? “No,” Dowson responds. “Each person is individual but Pollock is distinct and special in many ways. He’s fearless to be who he is.”

His spectacular score against Leinster last season illustrated his exceptional ability, but some of his animated in-game actions have brought allegations of cockiness.

“He sometimes appears arrogant in his conduct, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson asserts. “Furthermore he's not joking around constantly. In terms of strategy he has contributions – he’s a smart player. I believe at times it’s depicted that he’s just this idiot. But he’s intelligent and a positive influence within the team.”

Hardly any directors of rugby would admit to enjoying a tight friendship with a colleague, but that is how Dowson characterizes his relationship with Sam Vesty.

“We both share an interest regarding various topics,” he says. “We have a literary circle. He wants to see everything, aims to learn everything, wants to experience different things, and I feel like I’m the similar.

“We talk about numerous subjects away from rugby: movies, reading, concepts, art. When we met Stade [Français] last year, the cathedral was under renovation, so we had a little wander around.”

A further fixture in the French nation is looming: The Saints' comeback with the Prem will be short-lived because the continental event kicks in soon. The French side, in the foothills of the mountain range, are the initial challenge on matchday before the South African team travel to the following weekend.

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