Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson: ‘Banking Was a Difficult Experience’
This English town isn't exactly the most exotic spot on the planet, but its club delivers a great deal of excitement and passion.
In a city known for boot‑making, you would think kicking to be the Saints’ main approach. However under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the side in their distinctive colors opt to run with the ball.
Although playing for a distinctly UK location, they exhibit a style typical of the best Gallic exponents of attacking rugby.
Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the domestic league and progressed well in the Champions Cup – beaten by Bordeaux-Bègles in the ultimate match and ousted by Dublin-based club in a last-four clash previously.
They currently top the competition ladder after a series of victories and one tie and visit Ashton Gate on the weekend as the sole undefeated team, chasing a maiden victory at Ashton Gate since 2021.
It would be expected to think Dowson, who featured in 262 premier matches for various teams combined, had long intended to be a coach.
“As a professional, I didn't really think about it,” he remarks. “But as you mature, you realise how much you love the rugby, and what the normal employment looks like. I had a stint at a financial institution doing an internship. You do the commute a few times, and it was challenging – you grasp what you have going for you.”
Discussions with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder led to a position at Northampton. Jump ahead a decade and Dowson guides a team increasingly filled with national team players: key individuals were selected for England facing the the Kiwis two weeks ago.
The young flanker also had a significant influence as a substitute in England’s flawless campaign while the fly-half, eventually, will assume the No 10 jersey.
Is the rise of this outstanding group because of the Saints’ culture, or is it chance?
“This is a mix of each,” states Dowson. “I would acknowledge Chris Boyd, who basically just threw them in, and we had difficult periods. But the experience they had as a group is undoubtedly one of the factors they are so united and so gifted.”
Dowson also mentions his predecessor, an earlier coach at Franklin’s Gardens, as a key figure. “It was my good fortune to be coached by highly engaging personalities,” he notes. “He had a major effect on my professional journey, my management style, how I interact with others.”
The team demonstrate attractive rugby, which was clearly evident in the example of the French fly-half. The import was a member of the Clermont XV beaten in the Champions Cup in April when the winger registered a triple. He was impressed to such an extent to go against the flow of English talent moving to France.
“An associate rang me and stated: ‘We've found a fly-half from France who’s seeking a side,’” Dowson says. “I replied: ‘We lack the money for a imported playmaker. A different option will have to wait.’
‘He desires a fresh start, for the chance to prove his worth,’ my contact told me. That intrigued us. We spoke to him and his communication was outstanding, he was eloquent, he had a witty personality.
“We questioned: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He said to be guided, to be driven, to be facing unfamiliar situations and away from the Top 14. I was saying: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he turned out to be. We’re blessed to have him.”
Dowson says the 20-year-old the flanker provides a specific vitality. Has he encountered anyone like him? “Never,” Dowson answers. “Each person is original but Henry is unusual and remarkable in many ways. He’s unafraid to be himself.”
The player's sensational score against the Irish side last season illustrated his unusual talent, but some of his expressive in-game antics have led to allegations of cockiness.
“At times comes across as arrogant in his conduct, but he’s far from it,” Dowson says. “Furthermore Pollock is not joking around constantly. Game-wise he has ideas – he’s no fool. I think at times it’s depicted that he’s only a character. But he’s clever and good fun in the squad.”
Hardly any managers would claim to have having a bromance with a colleague, but that is how Dowson describes his partnership with Vesty.
“Sam and I have an inquisitiveness around different things,” he explains. “We maintain a literary circle. He wants to see various elements, seeks to understand everything, wants to experience different things, and I think I’m the alike.
“We converse on lots of subjects away from the sport: cinema, books, thoughts, creativity. When we faced Stade [Français] previously, the landmark was being done up, so we had a quick look.”
One more match in the French nation is coming up: Northampton’s comeback with the English competition will be short-lived because the European tournament kicks in next week. Their next opponents, in the foothills of the mountain range, are up first on the coming weekend before the Pretoria-based club travel to the following weekend.
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