Saints’ director of rugby on being converted to coaching, his ‘bromance’ with Sam Vesty and why Henry Pollock is smarter than he seems
Northampton is not the most exotic destination on the planet, but there is plenty of romance and adventure in its rugby union team.
In a town famous for boot‑making you might expect kicking, as frequently and as far as possible, to be the Saints’ modus operandi. But under the director of rugby, Phil Dowson, the team in green, black and gold prefer to keep ball in hand. Despite representing a quintessentially English town, they display a panache synonymous with the greatest French exponents of champagne rugby.
Since Dowson and the head coach, Sam Vesty, took over in 2022, Northampton have won what was then the Premiership and gone deep in the Champions Cup – losing to Bordeaux-Bègles in last season’s final, knocked out by Leinster in a semi-final before that.
They top the Prem table after four wins and a draw and travel to Bristol on Saturday as the only unbeaten side, seeking a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021. It would be natural to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight matches for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester combined, always planned to be a coach.
