Northampton Coach Phil Dowson: ‘I Tried Working for a Bank – It Was Tough’
Northampton may not be the most glamorous destination on the planet, but its club provides plenty of romance and adventure.
In a city renowned for footwear manufacturing, you would think punting to be the Saints’ primary strategy. But under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the team in green, black and gold choose to keep ball in hand.
Even though embodying a distinctly UK location, they showcase a style associated with the greatest Gallic exponents of expansive play.
After Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the domestic league and gone deep in the European competition – losing to a French side in last season’s final and ousted by the Irish province in a penultimate round previously.
They sit atop the competition ladder after multiple successes and a single stalemate and head to Ashton Gate on the weekend as the only unbeaten side, 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 combined, had long intended to be a manager.
“When I played, I hadn't given it much thought,” he remarks. “However as you get older, you understand how much you appreciate the sport, and what the normal employment entails. I had a stint at a banking firm doing work experience. You do the commute a multiple instances, and it was difficult – you realise what you do and don’t have.”
Discussions with former mentors culminated in a job at Northampton. Move forward a decade and Dowson manages a squad progressively crammed with global stars: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles were selected for the national side against the the Kiwis two weeks ago.
Henry Pollock also had a profound impact from the replacements in the national team's successful series while Fin Smith, eventually, will assume the fly-half role.
Is the emergence of this outstanding cohort due to the team's ethos, or is it chance?
“This is a combination of the two,” states Dowson. “I’d credit Chris Boyd, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the practice they had as a collective is definitely one of the causes they are so close-knit and so talented.”
Dowson also cites his predecessor, another predecessor at the club's home, as a major influence. “I’ve been fortunate to be mentored by exceptionally insightful people,” he adds. “He had a significant influence on my professional journey, my management style, how I manage others.”
Saints execute appealing rugby, which proved literally true in the example of their new signing. The import was part of the opposing team beaten in the Champions Cup in April when the winger registered a triple. The player was impressed to such an extent to buck the pattern of British stars heading across the Channel.
“A mate called me and said: ‘There’s a French 10 who’s looking for a team,’” Dowson says. “I said: ‘We don’t have funds for a overseas star. Another target will have to wait.’
‘He desires experience, for the possibility to prove his worth,’ my friend informed me. That interested me. We had a conversation with Belleau and his English was incredible, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.
“We questioned: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He said to be guided, to be challenged, to be facing unfamiliar situations and beyond the French league. I was saying: ‘Join us, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he has been. We’re fortunate to have him.”
Dowson says the 20-year-old the flanker brings a particular vitality. Has he coached a player comparable? “Not really,” Dowson responds. “All players are individual but Pollock is distinct and special in many ways. He’s unafraid to be himself.”
His spectacular touchdown against their opponents last season demonstrated his freakish skill, but various his demonstrative in-game actions have resulted in allegations of overconfidence.
“On occasion appears overconfident in his behavior, but he’s not,” Dowson asserts. “And Pollock is being serious the whole time. Tactically he has ideas – he’s no fool. I feel at times it’s shown that he’s merely a joker. But he’s intelligent and great to have in the squad.”
Not many managers would describe themselves as sharing a close bond with a colleague, but that is how Dowson frames his relationship with Sam Vesty.
“We both share an inquisitiveness regarding different things,” he notes. “We run a literary circle. He wants to see various elements, aims to learn all there is, desires to try different things, and I believe I’m the same.
“We talk about lots of topics beyond the game: films, books, ideas, culture. When we played Stade [Français] last year, the landmark was being done up, so we had a brief exploration.”
One more fixture in Gall is coming up: The Saints' reacquaintance with the Prem will be temporary because the European tournament intervenes next week. Their next opponents, in the shadow of the border region, are up first on matchday before the South African team arrive at the following weekend.
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