Northampton is not the most exotic destination on the planet, but there is plenty of romance and adventure in its rugby union team.<\/p>\n
In a town famous for boot\u2011making you might expect kicking, as frequently and as far as possible, to be the Saints\u2019 modus operandi. But under the director of rugby, Phil Dowson, the team in green, black and gold prefer to keep ball in hand. Despite representing a quintessentially English town, they display a panache synonymous with the greatest French exponents of champagne rugby.<\/p>\n
Since Dowson and the head coach, Sam Vesty, took over in 2022, Northampton have won what was then the Premiership<\/a> and gone deep in the Champions Cup \u2013 losing to Bordeaux-B\u00e8gles in last season\u2019s final<\/a>, knocked out by Leinster in a semi-final before that.<\/p>\n They top the Prem table after four wins and a draw and travel to Bristol on Saturday as the only unbeaten side, seeking a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021. It would be natural to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight matches for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester combined, always planned to be a coach.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I played I never seriously considered it,\u201d he says. \u201cBut as you get older you realise how much you enjoy the game, and what the real world looks like. I spent some time at Metro Bank doing work experience. You do the commute a few times, and it was tough \u2013 you realise what you do and don\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n Phil Dowson scoring for Northampton against Perpignan in January 2010. He also played for Newcastle and Worcester. Photograph: Warren Little\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Conversations with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder led to a role at Northampton. Fast-forward eight years and Dowson leads a squad increasingly crammed with internationals: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles started for England against the All Blacks<\/a> two weeks ago.<\/p>\n Henry Pollock also had a profound impact off the bench in England\u2019s perfect autumn while Fin Smith, in time, will inherit the No 10 jersey. Is the emergence of this remarkable generation attributable to the Saints\u2019 culture, or is it luck?<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a bit of both,\u201d says Dowson. \u201cI\u2019d credit [the former director of rugby] Chris Boyd, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the experience they had as a group is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so tight and so talented.\u201d<\/p>\n Dowson also namechecks Mallinder, another predecessor at Franklin\u2019s Gardens, as a major influence. \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate to be coached by really interesting people,\u201d he says. \u201cJim had a big impact on my career, my coaching, how I deal with people.\u201d<\/p>\n Saints play attractive rugby, which proved literally true in the case of Anthony Belleau, the fly-half who joined in the summer. The Frenchman was part of the Clermont XV beaten in the Champions Cup in April<\/a> when Freeman scored a hat-trick. Belleau liked what he saw enough to reverse the trend of English talent heading across the Channel.<\/p>\n Anthony Belleau takes on Harlequins\u2019 Seb Driscoll. The Frenchman was attracted to Northampton after playing them last season. Photograph: Morgan Harlow\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cA mate phoned me and said: \u2018There\u2019s a French 10 who\u2019s looking for a club,\u2019\u201d Dowson says. \u201cI said: \u2018We don\u2019t have money for a French fly-half. [Thomas] Ramos will have to wait.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018He\u2019s looking for experience, for the opportunity to test himself,\u2019 my friend said. That interested me. We spoke to Anthony and his English was incredible, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.<\/p>\n \u201cWe asked: \u2018What do you want from this?\u2019 He said to be coached, to be pushed, to be outside his comfort zone and outside the Top 14. I was like: \u2018Come on in, you\u2019re a legend of a man.\u2019 And he has been. We\u2019re lucky to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n Dowson says the 20-year-old Pollock brings a specific energy. Has he coached anyone like him? \u201cNo,\u201d Dowson replies. \u201cEveryone\u2019s original but Henry is different and unique in many ways. He\u2019s not afraid to be himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Pollock\u2019s sensational try against Leinster last season illustrated his freakish ability, but some of his demonstrative on-field antics have brought accusations of arrogance.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week’s action reviewed<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u201cHe sometimes comes across as arrogant in his actions, but he\u2019s not,\u201d Dowson says. \u201cAnd Henry\u2019s not taking the piss the whole time. Tactically he has input \u2013 he\u2019s not a clown. I think sometimes it\u2019s portrayed that he\u2019s just this idiot. But he\u2019s bright and good fun to have around.\u201d<\/p>\n The always eye-catching Henry Pollock celebrates with teammates after Northampton\u2019s victory over Leinster in May\u2019s Champions Cup semi-final. Photograph: David Rogers\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Few directors of rugby would describe themselves as having a bromance with a head coach, but that is how Dowson frames his relationship with Vesty.<\/p>\n \u201cSam and I share an inquisitiveness around different things,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have a book club. He wants to see everything, wants to know everything, wants to experience different things, and I feel like I\u2019m the same.<\/p>\n \u201cWe talk about lots of things outside rugby: films, books, ideas, art. When we played Stade [Fran\u00e7ais] last year, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a little wander around.\u201d<\/p>\n Another date in France is looming: Northampton\u2019s reacquaintance with the Prem will be brief because the Champions Cup intervenes next week. Pau, in the shadow of the Pyrenees, are up first on Sunday week before the Bulls visit a week later.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to be arrogant enough to say: \u2018We\u2019re going to win the Champions Cup.\u2019 But it\u2019s a special tournament because we do things that are new,\u201d Dowson says.<\/p>\n