Northampton Director of Rugby Phil Dowson: ‘I Tried Working for a Bank – It Was Tough’

Northampton isn't exactly the most tropical location on the planet, but its club provides plenty of romance and adventure.

In a city known for shoe production, you could anticipate kicking to be the Saints’ modus operandi. However under leader Phil Dowson, the side in the club's hues choose to retain possession.

Although representing a typically British town, they exhibit a style associated with the finest Gallic exponents of attacking rugby.

From the time Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, the Saints have won the domestic league and gone deep in the European competition – defeated by their Gallic opponents in last season’s final and ousted by Dublin-based club in a penultimate round previously.

They lead the competition ladder after multiple successes and a single stalemate and visit Bristol on matchday as the only unbeaten side, seeking a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be expected to think Dowson, who featured in 262 top-flight fixtures for multiple clubs altogether, consistently aimed to be a manager.

“During my career, I never seriously considered it,” he remarks. “However as you age, you realise how much you love the game, and what the normal employment entails. I had a stint at a financial institution doing work experience. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was difficult – you grasp what you do and don’t have.”

Conversations with club legends resulted in a position at the Saints. Fast-forward a decade and Dowson manages a team increasingly filled with internationals: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles lined up for the Red Rose versus the the Kiwis two weeks ago.

Henry Pollock also had a significant influence off the bench in the national team's flawless campaign while the fly-half, down the line, will inherit the pivotal position.

Is the development of this exceptional cohort due to the Saints’ culture, or is it luck?

“This is a combination of the two,” comments Dowson. “My thanks go to an ex-coach, who thrust them into action, and we had difficult periods. But the experience they had as a group is definitely one of the reasons they are so tight and so skilled.”

Dowson also cites Jim Mallinder, another predecessor at Franklin’s Gardens, as a significant mentor. “I’ve been fortunate to be coached by highly engaging personalities,” he adds. “He had a major effect on my professional journey, my management style, how I interact with individuals.”

The team demonstrate attractive rugby, which became obvious in the instance of Anthony Belleau. The Gallic player was a member of the Clermont XV defeated in the continental tournament in the spring when Freeman registered a triple. The player liked what he saw enough to buck the pattern of British stars moving to France.

“An associate rang me and said: ‘We know of a fly-half from France who’s seeking a team,’” Dowson says. “I said: ‘We don’t have budget for a French fly-half. A different option will have to wait.’

‘He desires a fresh start, for the chance to prove his worth,’ my contact told me. That intrigued us. We had a conversation with Belleau and his English was outstanding, he was articulate, he had a sense of humour.

“We asked: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He said to be trained, to be pushed, to be outside his comfort zone and away from the French league. I was thinking: ‘Come on in, you’re a great person.’ And he proved to be. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson says the young Henry Pollock brings a unique enthusiasm. Has he coached a player like him? “Not really,” Dowson answers. “Each person is individual but Henry is different and unique in many ways. He’s unafraid to be authentic.”

Pollock’s sensational score against their opponents previously illustrated his unusual skill, but various his expressive on-field antics have led to accusations of arrogance.

“At times appears arrogant in his actions, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson says. “And Henry’s not joking around constantly. In terms of strategy he has input – he’s no fool. I believe sometimes it’s portrayed that he’s only a character. But he’s intelligent and good fun in the squad.”

Few managers would claim to have enjoying a tight friendship with a assistant, but that is how Dowson frames his relationship with Sam Vesty.

“Sam and I share an inquisitiveness regarding diverse subjects,” he notes. “We have a book club. He wants to see all aspects, aims to learn all there is, aims to encounter varied activities, and I feel like I’m the similar.

“We converse on lots of things away from the sport: cinema, books, ideas, creativity. When we faced the Parisian club in the past season, the landmark was under renovation, so we had a brief exploration.”

One more fixture in Gall is looming: Northampton’s comeback with the Prem will be brief because the continental event intervenes next week. Pau, in the shadow of the border region, are the opening fixture on the coming weekend before the Pretoria-based club travel to a week later.

“I won't be overconfident sufficiently to {