Northampton Coach Phil Dowson: ‘I Tried Working for a Bank – It Was Tough’
This English town may not be the most tropical spot in the world, but its rugby union team delivers plenty of romance and adventure.
In a place renowned for boot‑making, you would think kicking to be the Saints’ modus operandi. But under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the squad in their distinctive colors opt to run with the ball.
Despite playing for a typically British community, they showcase a panache typical of the greatest French 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 advanced far in the European competition – losing to a French side in the ultimate match and eliminated by Leinster in a last-four clash before that.
They sit atop the competition ladder after a series of victories and one tie and visit Bristol on Saturday as the sole undefeated team, seeking a maiden victory at Ashton Gate since 2021.
It would be natural to think Dowson, who featured in 262 premier fixtures for multiple clubs altogether, consistently aimed to be a manager.
“When I played, I never seriously considered it,” he remarks. “However as you mature, you understand how much you love the game, and what the everyday life looks like. I had a stint at a banking firm doing work experience. You make the journey a few times, and it was tough – you see what you possess and lack.”
Conversations with former mentors resulted in a position at Northampton. Move forward eight years and Dowson leads a roster progressively packed with internationals: key individuals lined up for England against the New Zealand two weeks ago.
Henry Pollock also had a major effect from the replacements in England’s flawless campaign while the number ten, down the line, will take over the pivotal position.
Is the emergence of this remarkable group due to the club's environment, or is it fortune?
“It is a bit of both,” says Dowson. “I’d credit the former director of rugby, who basically just threw them in, and we had difficult periods. But the exposure they had as a unit is undoubtedly one of the causes they are so united and so talented.”
Dowson also namechecks his predecessor, an earlier coach at the club's home, as a key figure. “It was my good fortune to be coached by exceptionally insightful personalities,” he notes. “Mallinder had a major effect on my rugby life, my coaching, how I manage others.”
The team execute attractive rugby, which was clearly evident in the example of their new signing. The Frenchman was a member of the Clermont XV beaten in the Champions Cup in last season when Tommy Freeman registered a hat-trick. He was impressed enough to reverse the trend of English talent joining Top 14 sides.
“An associate rang me and said: ‘We've found a French 10 who’s in search of a team,’” Dowson says. “My response was: ‘There's no funds for a overseas star. Another target will have to wait.’
‘He wants new challenges, for the possibility to challenge himself,’ my friend informed me. That intrigued us. We had a conversation with Belleau and his communication was outstanding, he was well-spoken, he had a funny side.
“We questioned: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He answered to be trained, to be driven, to be facing unfamiliar situations and away from the Top 14. I was like: ‘Come on in, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he turned out to be. We’re lucky to have him.”
Dowson says the 20-year-old the flanker brings a particular energy. Has he encountered an individual like him? “Not really,” Dowson replies. “All players are original but he is distinct and special in numerous aspects. He’s not afraid to be who he is.”
Pollock’s sensational score against the Irish side previously illustrated his unusual skill, but various his demonstrative during matches behavior have brought claims of arrogance.
“At times appears overconfident in his conduct, but he’s not,” Dowson clarifies. “And he's not taking the piss constantly. Tactically he has ideas – he’s not a clown. I think sometimes it’s portrayed that he’s only a character. But he’s clever and great to have within the team.”
Hardly any managers would claim to have having a bromance with a assistant, but that is how Dowson describes his connection with his co-coach.
“Sam and I share an interest around different things,” he explains. “We run a reading group. He wants to see all aspects, seeks to understand all there is, wants to experience different things, and I believe I’m the alike.
“We discuss numerous things beyond the game: films, literature, thoughts, culture. When we met our French rivals in the past season, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a little wander around.”
One more fixture in the French nation is looming: The Saints' comeback with the English competition will be brief because the European tournament takes over soon. Their next opponents, in the vicinity of the mountain range, are the initial challenge on the coming weekend before the Bulls visit the following weekend.
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