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Northampton isn't exactly the most tropical location in the world, but its club offers an abundance of thrills and drama.

In a town famous for footwear manufacturing, you would think punting to be the Saints’ primary strategy. But under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the squad in their distinctive colors prefer to run with the ball.

Even though representing a quintessentially English town, they exhibit a panache synonymous with the greatest Gallic practitioners of expansive play.

From the time Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, the Saints have won the English top flight and gone deep in the Champions Cup – defeated by a French side in last season’s final and knocked out by the Irish province in a penultimate round before that.

They sit atop the Prem table after four wins and a draw and visit Bristol on matchday as the only unbeaten side, seeking a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be natural to think Dowson, who participated in 262 top-flight fixtures for multiple clubs in total, always planned to be a coach.

“During my career, I hadn't given it much thought,” he remarks. “But as you get older, you realise how much you love the game, and what the real world entails. I worked briefly at a financial institution doing a trial period. You do the commute a few times, and it was difficult – you grasp what you do and don’t have.”

Talks with club legends culminated in a job at Northampton. Move forward eight years and Dowson manages a team increasingly packed with national team players: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles lined up for the national side facing the New Zealand two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a significant influence from the replacements in the national team's perfect autumn while the number ten, eventually, will take over the fly-half role.

Is the development of this exceptional group due to the Saints’ culture, or is it luck?

“This is a mix of each,” states Dowson. “I’d credit an ex-coach, who gave them opportunities, and we had some tough days. But the experience they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so tight and so talented.”

Dowson also namechecks Jim Mallinder, an earlier coach at Franklin’s Gardens, as a significant mentor. “I’ve been fortunate to be mentored by exceptionally insightful personalities,” he says. “He had a significant influence on my professional journey, my management style, how I interact with individuals.”

The team execute attractive football, which became obvious in the example of their new signing. The Gallic player was part of the French club defeated in the continental tournament in last season when Freeman registered a hat-trick. He liked what he saw enough to reverse the trend of English talent heading across the Channel.

“A friend phoned me and remarked: ‘We know of a Gallic number ten who’s looking for a team,’” Dowson recalls. “My response was: ‘There's no budget for a overseas star. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He desires a fresh start, for the opportunity to test himself,’ my contact told me. That interested me. We spoke to him and his language skills was incredible, he was well-spoken, he had a funny side.

“We inquired: ‘What do you want from this?’ He said to be guided, to be challenged, to be facing unfamiliar situations and away from the French league. I was saying: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he has been. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson says the 20-year-old Pollock offers a unique enthusiasm. Has he coached an individual similar? “Never,” Dowson replies. “All players are original but he is unusual and remarkable in numerous aspects. He’s fearless to be who he is.”

His breathtaking try against the Irish side previously demonstrated his unusual talent, but some of his expressive on-field antics have resulted in accusations of cockiness.

“At times appears arrogant in his behavior, but he’s not,” Dowson says. “Plus Pollock is not joking around the whole time. In terms of strategy he has input – he’s not a clown. I believe sometimes it’s depicted that he’s just this idiot. But he’s clever and good fun in the squad.”

Few directors of rugby would claim to have sharing a close bond with a colleague, but that is how Dowson characterizes his connection with Sam Vesty.

“Together have an interest about diverse subjects,” he explains. “We run a literary circle. He aims to discover everything, aims to learn each detail, wants to experience new experiences, and I think I’m the alike.

“We converse on numerous topics outside rugby: movies, literature, concepts, creativity. When we faced the Parisian club last year, Notre-Dame was under renovation, so we had a little wander around.”

One more match in France is looming: Northampton’s comeback with the Prem will be short-lived because the European tournament kicks in shortly. Their next opponents, in the shadow of the border region, are up first on matchday before the South African team visit soon after.

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