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

This English town isn't exactly the most glamorous location globally, but its club provides plenty of thrills and drama.

In a town famous for boot‑making, you might expect boot work to be the Northampton's primary strategy. However under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the team in green, black and gold opt to run with the ball.

Despite playing for a quintessentially English location, they exhibit a flair synonymous with the finest Gallic practitioners of champagne rugby.

After Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, the Saints have secured the English top flight and gone deep in the European competition – defeated by a French side in the ultimate match and knocked out by the Irish province in a penultimate round before that.

They lead the league standings after a series of victories and one tie and travel to Bristol on matchday as the sole undefeated team, seeking a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be typical to think Dowson, who played 262 elite games for multiple clubs altogether, always planned to be a coach.

“As a professional, I never seriously considered it,” he states. “However as you mature, you realise how much you love the rugby, and what the everyday life looks like. I had a stint at a banking firm doing a trial period. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was difficult – you see what you possess and lack.”

Conversations with club legends led to a role at the Saints. Move forward several seasons and Dowson manages a roster ever more crammed with national team players: prominent figures lined up for the national side facing the New Zealand two weeks ago.

Henry Pollock also had a significant influence from the replacements in the national team's successful series while the number ten, in time, will assume the fly-half role.

Is the emergence of this outstanding group attributable to the team's ethos, or is it fortune?

“It is a bit of both,” comments Dowson. “I’d credit Chris Boyd, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the exposure they had as a unit is definitely one of the causes they are so tight and so skilled.”

Dowson also cites his predecessor, an earlier coach at the club's home, as a significant mentor. “I was lucky to be mentored by really interesting individuals,” he adds. “He had a significant influence on my career, my management style, how I manage individuals.”

The team play entertaining rugby, which became obvious in the example of the French fly-half. The Gallic player was part of the French club beaten in the Champions Cup in the spring when Freeman scored a three tries. He admired the style enough to go against the flow of UK players joining Top 14 sides.

“A friend called me and stated: ‘There’s a fly-half from France who’s seeking a club,’” Dowson explains. “I replied: ‘We lack the money for a French fly-half. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’

‘He wants a fresh start, for the possibility to challenge himself,’ my friend informed me. That interested me. We spoke to Belleau and his communication was excellent, he was articulate, he had a sense of humour.

“We inquired: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He responded to be guided, to be driven, to be facing unfamiliar situations and beyond the French league. I was thinking: ‘Join us, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he turned out to be. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson comments the emerging Pollock provides a unique energy. Has he encountered anyone comparable? “No,” Dowson replies. “Each person is unique but Henry is unusual and remarkable in numerous aspects. He’s unafraid to be himself.”

The player's breathtaking try against Leinster in the past campaign illustrated his unusual ability, but some of his expressive during matches antics have brought allegations of arrogance.

“At times appears arrogant in his conduct, but he’s not,” Dowson asserts. “Furthermore he's not joking around constantly. Tactically he has contributions – he’s a smart player. I feel at times it’s shown that he’s only a character. But he’s intelligent and good fun within the team.”

Not many directors of rugby would admit to having a bromance with a assistant, but that is how Dowson frames his connection with Vesty.

“Together have an curiosity regarding various topics,” he notes. “We have a literary circle. He aims to discover everything, aims to learn each detail, desires to try new experiences, and I feel like I’m the alike.

“We discuss many topics outside the sport: movies, reading, concepts, culture. When we met our French rivals last year, Notre-Dame was undergoing restoration, so we had a brief exploration.”

One more date in the French nation is approaching: Northampton’s comeback with the English competition will be short-lived because the continental event takes over soon. Pau, in the shadow of the border region, are the initial challenge on matchday before the South African team visit soon after.

“I refuse to be presumptuous enough to {