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Northampton may not be the most exotic destination globally, but its club delivers an abundance of excitement and passion.

In a place famous for boot‑making, you could anticipate punting to be the Saints’ modus operandi. However under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the team in green, black and gold choose to run with the ball.

Despite playing for a typically British town, they showcase a flair associated with the greatest Gallic practitioners of attacking rugby.

After Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, Northampton have secured the English top flight and gone deep in the Champions Cup – beaten by their Gallic opponents in the ultimate match and knocked out by the Irish province in a last-four clash before that.

They lead the competition ladder after multiple successes and a single stalemate and visit Ashton Gate on Saturday as the just one without a loss, aiming for a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be typical to think Dowson, who participated in 262 elite fixtures for various teams altogether, always planned to be a coach.

“When I played, I didn't really think about it,” he remarks. “But as you mature, you comprehend how much you enjoy the game, and what the normal employment looks like. I worked briefly at a banking firm doing an internship. You do the commute a several occasions, and it was difficult – you see what you do and don’t have.”

Talks with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder culminated in a position at the Saints. Move forward several seasons and Dowson guides a team progressively crammed with global stars: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles started for England versus the New Zealand two weeks ago.

Henry Pollock also had a major effect off the bench in the national team's flawless campaign while Fin Smith, eventually, will inherit the fly-half role.

Is the emergence of this outstanding group because of the team's ethos, or is it luck?

“It is a combination of the two,” states Dowson. “My thanks go to an ex-coach, 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 skilled.”

Dowson also namechecks his predecessor, another predecessor at Franklin’s Gardens, as a major influence. “It was my good fortune to be coached by highly engaging personalities,” he adds. “Mallinder had a major effect on my rugby life, my training methods, how I manage people.”

The team execute attractive rugby, which was clearly evident in the instance of the French fly-half. The Gallic player was part of the French club overcome in the Champions Cup in last season when Freeman registered a three tries. Belleau liked what he saw to such an extent to reverse the trend of British stars moving to France.

“A friend phoned me and remarked: ‘There’s a French 10 who’s seeking a side,’” Dowson says. “I replied: ‘We don’t have budget for a French fly-half. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’

‘He desires experience, for the chance to prove his worth,’ my friend said. That interested me. We met with Anthony and his language skills was incredible, he was well-spoken, he had a witty personality.

“We questioned: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He said to be trained, to be pushed, to be in a new environment and away from the French league. I was thinking: ‘Come on in, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he proved to be. We’re lucky to have him.”

Dowson says the young Pollock provides a particular energy. Has he encountered an individual like him? “No,” Dowson answers. “Each person is original but Pollock is unusual and remarkable in numerous aspects. He’s fearless to be authentic.”

The player's breathtaking try against the Irish side last season illustrated his freakish talent, but some of his animated in-game behavior have led to accusations of arrogance.

“At times seems cocky in his behavior, but he’s far from it,” Dowson asserts. “And he's not taking the piss all the time. Tactically he has input – he’s a smart player. I think at times it’s portrayed that he’s just this idiot. But he’s clever and good fun within the team.”

Not many directors of rugby would describe themselves as having a bromance with a head coach, but that is how Dowson frames his partnership with his co-coach.

“Sam and I have an interest regarding diverse subjects,” he notes. “We maintain a reading group. He wants to see everything, wants to know each detail, wants to experience new experiences, and I feel like I’m the similar.

“We discuss lots of things outside the sport: cinema, reading, ideas, culture. When we played the Parisian club last year, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a quick look.”

One more date in Gall is coming up: The Saints' comeback with the English competition will be temporary because the continental event intervenes shortly. Their next opponents, in the vicinity of the border region, are the opening fixture on Sunday week before the South African team travel to a week later.

“I refuse to be overconfident to the extent to {