Saints Coach Phil Dowson: ‘Banking Was a Difficult Experience’
This English town is hardly the most tropical spot in the world, but its club provides plenty of thrills and drama.
In a place famous for boot‑making, you could anticipate boot work to be the Northampton's primary strategy. Yet under leader Phil Dowson, the side in the club's hues prefer to retain possession.
Despite playing for a typically British location, they exhibit a panache typical of the finest Gallic practitioners of attacking rugby.
After Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty took over in 2022, the Saints have secured the English top flight and gone deep in the continental tournament – losing to a French side in the previous campaign's decider and knocked out by Leinster in a penultimate round previously.
They currently top the Prem table after four wins and a draw and visit Ashton Gate on Saturday as the only unbeaten side, chasing a initial success at their opponent's ground since 2021.
It would be natural to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight matches for multiple clubs in total, consistently aimed to be a coach.
“As a professional, I never seriously considered it,” he says. “But as you get older, you realise how much you appreciate the sport, and what the everyday life looks like. I spent some time at a banking firm doing an internship. You make the journey a few times, and it was challenging – you realise what you do and don’t have.”
Conversations with club legends resulted in a position at the Saints. Move forward several seasons and Dowson leads a roster progressively packed with national team players: key individuals lined up for the Red Rose against the All Blacks two weeks ago.
The young flanker also had a major effect as a substitute in the national team's perfect autumn while Fin Smith, in time, will inherit the No 10 jersey.
Is the rise of this remarkable cohort due to the Saints’ culture, or is it fortune?
“This is a mix of each,” says Dowson. “My thanks go to the former director of rugby, who gave them opportunities, and we had difficult periods. But the exposure they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so united and so skilled.”
Dowson also namechecks Mallinder, an earlier coach at their stadium, as a major influence. “I’ve been fortunate to be coached by highly engaging people,” he says. “He had a big impact on my professional journey, my management style, how I interact with others.”
Saints execute attractive rugby, which was clearly evident in the case of the French fly-half. The Frenchman was part of the French club overcome in the Champions Cup in last season when Tommy Freeman registered a three tries. He was impressed to such an extent to reverse the trend of English talent heading across the Channel.
“A mate rang me and remarked: ‘There’s a French 10 who’s looking for a club,’” Dowson explains. “My response was: ‘We lack the money for a overseas star. A different option will have to wait.’
‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the chance to challenge himself,’ my mate said. That intrigued us. We had a conversation with Belleau and his English was outstanding, he was articulate, he had a sense of humour.
“We inquired: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He responded to be trained, to be challenged, to be in a new environment and away from the French league. I was thinking: ‘Join us, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he proved to be. We’re blessed to have him.”
Dowson says the emerging the flanker offers a particular energy. Has he coached anyone like him? “Never,” Dowson answers. “Everyone’s individual but Pollock is different and unique in multiple respects. He’s fearless to be authentic.”
Pollock’s breathtaking score against Leinster previously illustrated his freakish skill, but various his expressive on-field antics have resulted in accusations of cockiness.
“He sometimes appears cocky in his conduct, but he’s far from it,” Dowson asserts. “Plus Pollock is not taking the piss all the time. Game-wise he has contributions – he’s a smart player. I feel at times it’s depicted that he’s only a character. But he’s bright and great to have in the squad.”
Hardly any directors of rugby would describe themselves as enjoying a tight friendship with a head coach, but that is how Dowson frames his relationship with his co-coach.
“We both possess an curiosity about various topics,” he explains. “We run a reading group. He aims to discover everything, aims to learn all there is, desires to try new experiences, and I feel like I’m the similar.
“We converse on lots of topics outside the sport: cinema, reading, thoughts, creativity. When we met our French rivals in the past season, Notre-Dame was under renovation, so we had a little wander around.”
One more date in France is looming: Northampton’s reacquaintance with the domestic league will be short-lived because the European tournament takes over shortly. Their next opponents, in the vicinity of the border region, are the opening fixture on matchday before the South African team visit a week later.
“I’m not going to be overconfident enough to {
