Saints Coach Phil Dowson: ‘I Tried Working for a Bank – It Was Tough’
This English town is hardly the most glamorous destination globally, but its rugby union team provides plenty of romance and adventure.
In a town renowned for boot‑making, you could anticipate kicking to be the Saints’ primary strategy. Yet under head coach Phil Dowson, the squad in the club's hues opt to run with the ball.
Even though representing a quintessentially English town, they exhibit a flair typical of the best French exponents of attacking 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 Champions Cup – beaten by their Gallic opponents in last season’s final and ousted by Dublin-based club in a semi-final before that.
They lead the league standings after a series of victories and one tie and travel to Ashton Gate on matchday as the just one without a loss, chasing a first win at their opponent's ground since 2021.
It would be expected to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight games for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester altogether, always planned to be a trainer.
“As a professional, I didn't really think about it,” he remarks. “Yet as you mature, you comprehend how much you enjoy the game, and what the real world looks like. I had a stint at a financial institution doing work experience. You travel to work a few times, and it was difficult – you realise what you have going for you.”
Talks with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder led to a role at the Saints. Fast-forward several seasons and Dowson manages a team increasingly filled with national team players: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles lined up for the national side facing the the Kiwis two weeks ago.
An emerging talent also had a major effect from the replacements in the national team's successful series while the fly-half, eventually, will take over the fly-half role.
Is the emergence of this remarkable cohort attributable to the Saints’ culture, or is it chance?
“It's a combination of the two,” comments Dowson. “My thanks go to Chris Boyd, who thrust them into action, and we had some tough days. But the practice they had as a group is certainly one of the reasons they are so tight and so skilled.”
Dowson also cites Mallinder, a former boss at the club's home, as a major influence. “I’ve been fortunate to be guided by really interesting people,” he says. “Mallinder had a significant influence on my professional journey, my coaching, how I manage others.”
Saints play appealing rugby, which proved literally true in the instance of the French fly-half. The import was involved with the French club defeated in the Champions Cup in last season when Tommy Freeman registered a hat-trick. He admired the style to such an extent to buck the pattern of English talent moving to France.
“A mate rang me and remarked: ‘There’s a French 10 who’s in search of a side,’” Dowson says. “My response was: ‘There's no budget for a imported playmaker. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’
‘He desires a fresh start, for the possibility to test himself,’ my contact informed me. That interested me. We had a conversation with him and his communication was outstanding, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.
“We asked: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He said to be trained, to be driven, to be in a new environment and outside the Top 14. I was like: ‘Come on in, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he has been. We’re lucky to have him.”
Dowson states the 20-year-old Henry Pollock brings a specific vitality. Has he encountered anyone similar? “Never,” Dowson replies. “All players are original but he is unusual and remarkable in numerous aspects. He’s fearless to be who he is.”
His sensational touchdown against the Irish side previously demonstrated his freakish ability, but a few of his expressive in-game antics have led to accusations of overconfidence.
“At times comes across as cocky in his behavior, but he’s far from it,” Dowson says. “And Pollock is being serious all the time. In terms of strategy he has ideas – he’s not a clown. I think on occasion it’s depicted that he’s only a character. But he’s bright and a positive influence in the squad.”
Few managers would claim to have having a bromance with a assistant, but that is how Dowson frames his connection with Vesty.
“Together share an curiosity around various topics,” he says. “We run a literary circle. He wants to see everything, seeks to understand all there is, desires to try new experiences, and I feel like I’m the alike.
“We talk about many subjects beyond rugby: films, books, concepts, art. When we met Stade [Français] last year, the landmark was being done up, so we had a quick look.”
One more match in the French nation is looming: The Saints' comeback with the Prem will be brief because the European tournament takes over next week. The French side, in the vicinity of the border region, are the initial challenge on Sunday week before the Pretoria-based club travel to soon after.
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