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

This English town is hardly the most tropical destination on the planet, but its rugby union team provides plenty of romance and adventure.

In a town known for shoe production, you could anticipate kicking to be the Saints’ modus operandi. However under head coach Phil Dowson, the team in their distinctive colors prefer to retain possession.

Despite embodying a distinctly UK community, they showcase a flair associated with the finest Gallic practitioners of attacking rugby.

After Dowson and his colleague Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, the Saints have claimed victory in the domestic league and gone deep in the continental tournament – beaten by their Gallic opponents in the ultimate match and eliminated by the Irish province in a last-four clash previously.

They currently top the competition ladder after four wins and a draw and travel to Bristol on the weekend as the sole undefeated team, seeking a initial success at Bristol's home since 2021.

It would be natural to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight matches for various teams combined, always planned to be a manager.

“When I played, I didn't really think about it,” he states. “Yet as you get older, you realise how much you appreciate the rugby, and what the real world looks like. I worked briefly at a financial institution doing a trial period. You make the journey a few times, and it was tough – you grasp what you have going for you.”

Talks with former mentors resulted in a job at Northampton. Fast-forward eight years and Dowson guides a team increasingly filled with global stars: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles started for the national side versus the the Kiwis two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a profound impact as a substitute in the national team's successful series while the fly-half, down the line, will assume the pivotal position.

Is the rise of this outstanding group due to the team's ethos, or is it chance?

“This is a combination of the two,” comments Dowson. “My thanks go to Chris Boyd, who gave them opportunities, and we had challenging moments. But the experience they had as a group is certainly one of the causes they are so united and so skilled.”

Dowson also namechecks Mallinder, a former boss at Franklin’s Gardens, as a significant mentor. “It was my good fortune to be mentored by highly engaging people,” he notes. “Jim had a significant influence on my rugby life, my coaching, how I manage people.”

Northampton execute appealing the game, which became obvious in the case of Anthony Belleau. The Frenchman was involved with the opposing team defeated in the European competition in the spring when Freeman registered a hat-trick. He admired the style sufficiently to reverse the trend of British stars moving to France.

“An associate rang me and stated: ‘There’s a Gallic number ten who’s in search of a club,’” Dowson recalls. “I said: ‘We lack the money for a imported playmaker. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the opportunity to test himself,’ my mate told me. That caught my attention. We had a conversation with him and his English was excellent, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.

“We asked: ‘What do you want from this?’ He said to be trained, to be pushed, to be in a new environment and beyond the domestic competition. I was thinking: ‘Come on in, you’re a great person.’ And he has been. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson states the emerging Pollock offers a unique vitality. Has he encountered a player like him? “Never,” Dowson responds. “Each person is unique but Henry is unusual and remarkable in numerous aspects. He’s unafraid to be who he is.”

The player's spectacular score against their opponents previously illustrated his exceptional ability, but various his animated in-game actions have resulted in accusations of overconfidence.

“He sometimes comes across as arrogant in his conduct, but he’s far from it,” Dowson says. “And Henry’s being serious the whole time. Tactically he has input – he’s no fool. I feel at times it’s shown that he’s merely a joker. But he’s intelligent and great to have within the team.”

Few managers would admit to enjoying a tight friendship with a head coach, but that is how Dowson describes his connection with Sam Vesty.

“Together possess an inquisitiveness around various topics,” he says. “We maintain a reading group. He desires to explore everything, aims to learn everything, desires to try varied activities, and I think I’m the alike.

“We discuss numerous topics beyond rugby: cinema, literature, thoughts, culture. When we played Stade [Français] previously, the cathedral was undergoing restoration, so we had a little wander around.”

One more match in the French nation is approaching: Northampton’s reacquaintance with the Prem will be short-lived because the Champions Cup takes over soon. Pau, in the vicinity of the border region, are the opening fixture on the coming weekend before the South African team visit soon after.

“I refuse to be overconfident to the extent to {