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This English town may not be the most exotic destination on the planet, but its club offers a great deal of thrills and drama.

In a town renowned for footwear manufacturing, you might expect kicking to be the Saints’ primary strategy. However under leader Phil Dowson, the squad in green, black and gold opt to run with the ball.

Even though representing a quintessentially English community, they display a panache synonymous with the greatest Gallic masters of champagne rugby.

From the time Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, the Saints have claimed victory in the English top flight and gone deep in the continental tournament – defeated by Bordeaux-Bègles in the ultimate match and eliminated by Dublin-based club in a penultimate round before that.

They lead the competition ladder after four wins and a draw and travel to their West Country rivals on matchday as the just one without a loss, seeking a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be expected to think Dowson, who featured in 262 top-flight matches for multiple clubs altogether, had long intended to be a manager.

“When I played, I never seriously considered it,” he remarks. “However as you get older, you realise how much you appreciate the rugby, and what the normal employment is like. I spent some time at Metro Bank doing a trial period. You make the journey a multiple instances, and it was difficult – you grasp what you possess and lack.”

Talks with former mentors resulted in a position at Northampton. Jump ahead eight years and Dowson leads a roster ever more filled with internationals: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles were selected for the national side facing the All Blacks two weeks ago.

Henry Pollock also had a significant influence from the replacements in the national team's perfect autumn while Fin Smith, in time, will inherit the fly-half role.

Is the development of this exceptional generation attributable to the team's ethos, or is it fortune?

“It is a combination of the two,” says Dowson. “I would acknowledge an ex-coach, who basically just threw them in, and we had difficult periods. But the exposure they had as a collective is certainly one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so gifted.”

Dowson also mentions Mallinder, a former boss at Franklin’s Gardens, as a key figure. “I’ve been fortunate to be coached by really interesting personalities,” he adds. “Mallinder had a significant influence on my professional journey, my training methods, how I interact with people.”

The team execute attractive football, which became obvious in the example of their new signing. The Frenchman was part of the French club defeated in the European competition in last season when Tommy Freeman registered a three tries. The player was impressed sufficiently to reverse the trend of UK players heading across the Channel.

“A friend phoned me and remarked: ‘There’s a fly-half from France who’s looking for a side,’” Dowson recalls. “I replied: ‘We don’t have funds for a overseas star. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the possibility to test himself,’ my contact said. That intrigued us. We met with him and his English was incredible, he was eloquent, he had a witty personality.

“We asked: ‘What do you want from this?’ He responded to be trained, to be challenged, to be outside his comfort zone and away from the French league. I was thinking: ‘Come on in, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he proved to be. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson says the 20-year-old Henry Pollock brings a unique energy. Does he know a player like him? “Never,” Dowson responds. “Everyone’s original but Henry is different and unique in numerous aspects. He’s unafraid to be himself.”

Pollock’s spectacular touchdown against their opponents last season demonstrated his freakish talent, but a few of his demonstrative in-game behavior have led to allegations of arrogance.

“On occasion comes across as arrogant in his actions, but he’s not,” Dowson asserts. “And Pollock is being serious constantly. In terms of strategy he has ideas – he’s no fool. I feel sometimes it’s depicted that he’s just this idiot. But he’s clever and great to have within the team.”

Hardly any directors of rugby would claim to have sharing a close bond with a head coach, but that is how Dowson frames his connection with Vesty.

“Sam and I possess an interest around diverse subjects,” he says. “We maintain a book club. He desires to explore everything, aims to learn each detail, aims to encounter varied activities, and I feel like I’m the same.

“We discuss many topics away from the sport: movies, reading, ideas, culture. When we played the Parisian club in the past season, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a quick look.”

One more date in Gall is coming up: The Saints' reacquaintance with the Prem will be short-lived because the Champions Cup kicks in next week. The French side, in the shadow of the mountain range, are the opening fixture on Sunday week before the Bulls arrive at the following weekend.

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