Northampton Director of Rugby Phil Dowson: ‘Banking Was a Difficult Experience’
Northampton may not be the most tropical location in the world, but its squad offers a great deal of romance and adventure.
In a place known for boot‑making, you would think kicking to be the Saints’ modus operandi. However under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the team in the club's hues prefer to run with the ball.
Although embodying a distinctly UK location, they display a flair synonymous with the greatest French masters of champagne rugby.
After Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the English top flight and progressed well in the European competition – beaten by their Gallic opponents in the ultimate match and knocked out by Dublin-based club in a semi-final before that.
They sit atop the Prem table after four wins and a draw and travel to Bristol on the weekend as the only unbeaten side, chasing a first win at their opponent's ground since 2021.
It would be natural to think Dowson, who featured in 262 top-flight fixtures for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester altogether, had long intended to be a manager.
“During my career, I never seriously considered it,” he says. “However as you get older, you realise how much you appreciate the game, and what the real world entails. I spent some time at a banking firm doing an internship. You travel to work a several occasions, and it was challenging – you realise what you have going for you.”
Conversations with club legends culminated in a job at the Saints. Fast-forward several seasons and Dowson manages a squad ever more packed with global stars: key individuals started for the national side versus the the Kiwis two weeks ago.
The young flanker also had a significant influence as a substitute in England’s successful series while the number ten, eventually, will assume the No 10 jersey.
Is the rise of this outstanding cohort due to the club's environment, or is it luck?
“It's a mix of each,” says Dowson. “I would acknowledge an ex-coach, who gave them opportunities, and we had some tough days. But the practice they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the causes they are so close-knit and so skilled.”
Dowson also mentions his predecessor, another predecessor at Franklin’s Gardens, as a significant mentor. “I was lucky to be guided by really interesting personalities,” he says. “Mallinder had a big impact on my rugby life, my training methods, how I deal with individuals.”
Saints execute appealing rugby, which became obvious in the example of Anthony Belleau. The Frenchman was part of the French club overcome in the European competition in last season when the winger notched a triple. Belleau admired the style enough to go against the flow of UK players heading across the Channel.
“An associate phoned me and remarked: ‘We've found a Gallic number ten who’s seeking a club,’” Dowson recalls. “I said: ‘There's no budget for a imported playmaker. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’
‘He’s looking for experience, for the opportunity to prove his worth,’ my mate informed me. That caught my attention. We had a conversation with Belleau and his communication was excellent, he was well-spoken, he had a sense of humour.
“We questioned: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He answered to be coached, to be challenged, to be outside his comfort zone and away from the Top 14. I was saying: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a great person.’ And he turned out to be. We’re fortunate to have him.”
Dowson says the 20-year-old the flanker offers a particular enthusiasm. Has he encountered a player like him? “Never,” Dowson replies. “Each person is unique but he is different and unique in multiple respects. He’s fearless to be authentic.”
The player's breathtaking try against their opponents last season demonstrated his unusual skill, but a few of his animated in-game antics have led to accusations of arrogance.
“At times comes across as cocky in his actions, but he’s not,” Dowson asserts. “Plus he's not taking the piss the whole time. In terms of strategy he has ideas – he’s a smart player. I think on occasion it’s depicted that he’s only a character. But he’s intelligent and great to have in the squad.”
Not many directors of rugby would claim to have sharing a close bond with a head coach, but that is how Dowson describes his relationship with Sam Vesty.
“We both have an inquisitiveness around diverse subjects,” he notes. “We maintain a literary circle. He desires to explore all aspects, aims to learn everything, aims to encounter varied activities, and I think I’m the alike.
“We converse on many topics beyond rugby: movies, literature, thoughts, culture. When we met the Parisian club previously, Notre-Dame was under renovation, so we had a brief exploration.”
One more date in Gall is approaching: The Saints' reacquaintance with the domestic league will be short-lived because the continental event intervenes next week. Their next opponents, in the foothills of the border region, are the opening fixture on matchday before the Pretoria-based club travel to a week later.
“I’m not going to be presumptuous enough to {
