Northampton Coach Phil Dowson: ‘Banking Was a Difficult Experience’
This English town is hardly the most tropical location on the planet, but its club delivers an abundance of excitement and passion.
In a place famous for footwear manufacturing, you could anticipate kicking to be the Saints’ modus operandi. However under head coach Phil Dowson, the side in their distinctive colors prefer to retain possession.
Although playing for a distinctly UK town, they display a panache associated with the best Gallic practitioners of expansive play.
After Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the Premiership and gone deep in the Champions Cup – beaten by their Gallic opponents in the ultimate match and knocked out by Leinster in a penultimate round earlier.
They currently top the competition ladder after four wins and a draw and head to Bristol on matchday as the only unbeaten side, aiming for a maiden victory at Bristol's home since 2021.
It would be typical to think Dowson, who featured in 262 top-flight games for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester altogether, consistently aimed to be a coach.
“When I played, I hadn't given it much thought,” he states. “Yet as you age, you comprehend how much you enjoy the rugby, and what the normal employment entails. I spent some time at Metro Bank doing work experience. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was difficult – you realise what you have going for you.”
Talks with former mentors resulted in a position at the Saints. Jump ahead a decade and Dowson guides a team increasingly crammed with global stars: prominent figures lined up for the Red Rose facing the the Kiwis two weeks ago.
An emerging talent also had a profound impact from the replacements in England’s perfect autumn while Fin Smith, in time, will assume the No 10 jersey.
Is the rise of this remarkable cohort attributable to the team's ethos, or is it luck?
“This is a bit of both,” states Dowson. “My thanks go to Chris Boyd, who gave them opportunities, and we had difficult periods. But the practice they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so talented.”
Dowson also mentions his predecessor, an earlier coach at Franklin’s Gardens, as a significant mentor. “It was my good fortune to be guided by really interesting people,” he says. “Mallinder had a major effect on my professional journey, my training methods, how I deal with people.”
Northampton execute entertaining football, which was clearly evident in the example of their new signing. The Frenchman was part of the opposing team overcome in the European competition in April when the winger registered a triple. He was impressed enough to reverse the trend of UK players moving to France.
“A mate called me and said: ‘There’s a fly-half from France who’s seeking a team,’” Dowson says. “My response was: ‘We don’t have budget for a overseas star. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’
‘He wants a fresh start, for the opportunity to prove his worth,’ my mate informed me. That caught my attention. We spoke to him and his English was excellent, he was well-spoken, he had a funny side.
“We inquired: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He answered to be guided, to be driven, to be facing unfamiliar situations and outside the domestic competition. I was like: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a great person.’ And he has been. We’re lucky to have him.”
Dowson comments the 20-year-old Henry Pollock brings a particular energy. Has he coached an individual like him? “Not really,” Dowson responds. “Everyone’s individual but he is different and unique in multiple respects. He’s unafraid to be authentic.”
The player's sensational score against their opponents last season showcased his exceptional ability, but various his animated on-field antics have resulted in accusations of overconfidence.
“On occasion seems arrogant in his actions, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson clarifies. “Plus Henry’s not taking the piss constantly. Game-wise he has contributions – he’s no fool. I believe on occasion it’s depicted that he’s just this idiot. But he’s intelligent and a positive influence within the team.”
Hardly any directors of rugby would admit to sharing a close bond with a head coach, but that is how Dowson characterizes his partnership with his co-coach.
“Sam and I have an curiosity about different things,” he notes. “We run a reading group. He wants to see all aspects, wants to know each detail, desires to try varied activities, and I feel like I’m the same.
“We discuss many things beyond the sport: films, reading, concepts, art. When we met our French rivals last year, the cathedral was under renovation, so we had a little wander around.”
Another fixture in Gall is coming up: The Saints' comeback with the Prem will be brief because the continental event takes over next week. Their next opponents, in the vicinity of the border region, are up first on the coming weekend before the South African team visit the following weekend.
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