🔗 Share this article

Northampton isn't exactly the most tropical spot on the planet, but its rugby union team delivers an abundance of excitement and passion.

In a town renowned for footwear manufacturing, you might expect kicking to be the Saints’ modus operandi. But under head coach Phil Dowson, the team in their distinctive colors choose to run with the ball.

Despite embodying a typically British community, they showcase a flair typical of the finest Gallic masters of expansive play.

From the time Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the domestic league and gone deep in the European competition – losing to Bordeaux-Bègles in the previous campaign's decider and eliminated by Leinster in a last-four clash before that.

They lead the competition ladder after multiple successes and a single stalemate and visit their West Country rivals on Saturday as the just one without a loss, seeking a maiden victory at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be typical to think Dowson, who played 262 elite matches for multiple clubs in total, consistently aimed to be a trainer.

“When I played, I hadn't given it much thought,” he states. “But as you get older, you realise how much you enjoy the rugby, and what the real world is like. I spent some time at Metro Bank doing work experience. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was challenging – you realise what you possess and lack.”

Conversations with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder led to a role at Northampton. Fast-forward several seasons and Dowson guides a squad progressively filled with internationals: prominent figures lined up for the Red Rose against the New Zealand two weeks ago.

The young flanker also had a significant influence from the replacements in the national team's flawless campaign while the number ten, eventually, will inherit the No 10 jersey.

Is the rise of this exceptional generation attributable 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 gave them opportunities, and we had some tough days. But the exposure they had as a collective is certainly one of the causes they are so tight and so talented.”

Dowson also namechecks Jim Mallinder, an earlier coach at the club's home, as a key figure. “I was lucky to be coached by highly engaging individuals,” he says. “Mallinder had a big impact on my rugby life, my management style, how I interact with individuals.”

The team demonstrate entertaining football, which proved literally true in the example of their new signing. The Frenchman was involved with the Clermont XV beaten in the European competition in last season when Tommy Freeman notched a triple. The player admired the style sufficiently to go against the flow of British stars heading across the Channel.

“A friend rang me and said: ‘There’s a Gallic number ten who’s in search of a side,’” Dowson recalls. “My response was: ‘We don’t have money for a French fly-half. A different option will have to wait.’

‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the opportunity to challenge himself,’ my friend informed me. That caught my attention. We had a conversation with Anthony and his communication was incredible, he was articulate, he had a witty personality.

“We asked: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He answered to be coached, to be pushed, to be in a new environment and outside the domestic competition. I was like: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a great person.’ And he turned out to be. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson comments the 20-year-old the flanker offers a unique energy. Has he encountered anyone like him? “Never,” Dowson responds. “Everyone’s original but Pollock is different and unique in multiple respects. He’s unafraid to be who he is.”

The player's sensational score against the Irish side last season showcased his exceptional skill, but some of his expressive during matches actions have brought accusations of arrogance.

“He sometimes seems overconfident in his conduct, but he’s far from it,” Dowson clarifies. “Plus he's not joking around all the time. In terms of strategy he has input – he’s not a clown. I feel on occasion it’s portrayed that he’s just this idiot. But he’s bright and good fun to have around.”

Not many coaches would describe themselves as having a bromance with a head coach, but that is how Dowson characterizes his relationship with Vesty.

“Sam and I possess an curiosity regarding different things,” he notes. “We maintain a book club. He aims to discover all aspects, aims to learn everything, aims to encounter different things, and I feel like I’m the alike.

“We converse on lots of subjects beyond rugby: films, literature, ideas, art. When we met our French rivals previously, the cathedral was being done up, so we had a little wander around.”

One more match in Gall is coming up: The Saints' reacquaintance with the Prem will be temporary because the Champions Cup kicks in shortly. The French side, in the shadow of the mountain range, are the initial challenge on matchday before the Bulls visit a week later.

“I refuse to be presumptuous to the extent to {