Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson: ‘I Tried Working for a Bank – It Was Tough’
Northampton isn't exactly the most tropical spot in the world, but its rugby union team provides an abundance of romance and adventure.
In a place renowned for shoe production, you would think kicking to be the Saints’ main approach. But under leader Phil Dowson, the team in green, black and gold choose to keep ball in hand.
Despite representing a distinctly UK community, they exhibit a style associated with the best Gallic practitioners of champagne rugby.
After Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, Northampton have won the English top flight and gone deep in the European competition – defeated by Bordeaux-Bègles in last season’s final and eliminated by the Irish province in a semi-final before that.
They sit atop the competition ladder after a series of victories and one tie and travel to their West Country rivals on the weekend as the sole undefeated team, seeking a maiden victory at Bristol's home since 2021.
It would be expected to think Dowson, who featured in 262 elite fixtures for multiple clubs altogether, consistently aimed to be a coach.
“As a professional, I didn't really think about it,” he remarks. “However as you get older, you comprehend how much you appreciate the rugby, and what the everyday life looks like. I worked briefly at a financial institution doing an internship. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was tough – you see what you have going for you.”
Discussions with former mentors culminated in a position at the Saints. Fast-forward eight years and Dowson leads a team increasingly filled with internationals: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles started for England facing the the Kiwis two weeks ago.
The young flanker also had a significant influence as a substitute in the national team's perfect autumn while the fly-half, down the line, will inherit the No 10 jersey.
Is the development of this remarkable generation because of the club's environment, or is it luck?
“It is a combination of the two,” says Dowson. “I’d credit an ex-coach, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the exposure they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the factors they are so united and so talented.”
Dowson also cites Mallinder, a former boss at their stadium, as a key figure. “It was my good fortune to be mentored by highly engaging individuals,” he says. “Jim had a major effect on my professional journey, my coaching, how I manage individuals.”
The team demonstrate attractive football, which proved literally true in the instance of Anthony Belleau. The Gallic player was part of the Clermont XV beaten in the European competition in last season when Tommy Freeman scored a three tries. The player admired the style to such an extent to reverse the trend of English talent moving to France.
“A mate phoned me and said: ‘There’s a Gallic number ten who’s in search of a side,’” Dowson says. “I said: ‘We lack the budget for a overseas star. A different option will have to wait.’
‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the possibility to prove his worth,’ my friend said. That interested me. We met with Belleau and his language skills was outstanding, he was eloquent, he had a witty personality.
“We questioned: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He responded to be guided, to be driven, to be facing unfamiliar situations and away from the French league. I was saying: ‘Join us, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he proved to be. We’re lucky to have him.”
Dowson states the emerging Pollock offers a unique energy. Has he coached a player comparable? “Not really,” Dowson answers. “Everyone’s individual but Pollock is different and unique in multiple respects. He’s unafraid to be himself.”
His breathtaking touchdown against their opponents in the past campaign showcased his freakish talent, but a few of his expressive on-field behavior have brought accusations of arrogance.
“He sometimes seems arrogant in his behavior, but he’s far from it,” Dowson says. “Plus Henry’s not taking the piss the whole time. Tactically he has ideas – he’s not a clown. I feel at times it’s shown that he’s only a character. But he’s intelligent and good fun within the team.”
Few coaches would describe themselves as having a bromance with a colleague, but that is how Dowson describes his partnership with Sam Vesty.
“We both possess an inquisitiveness regarding different things,” he explains. “We maintain a literary circle. He wants to see various elements, seeks to understand each detail, wants to experience new experiences, and I believe I’m the similar.
“We discuss numerous things away from rugby: films, reading, concepts, creativity. When we played the Parisian club last year, the landmark was undergoing restoration, so we had a brief exploration.”
A further date in the French nation is coming up: Northampton’s comeback with the domestic league will be brief because the continental event takes over shortly. Pau, in the vicinity of the border region, are up first on the coming weekend before the Pretoria-based club visit soon after.
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