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Northampton is hardly the most exotic destination in the world, but its club provides a great deal of excitement and passion.

In a town renowned for footwear manufacturing, you could anticipate punting to be the Saints’ modus operandi. Yet under head coach Phil Dowson, the team in their distinctive colors prefer to run with the ball.

Although representing a quintessentially English location, they showcase a panache associated with the best French masters of attacking rugby.

Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty took over in 2022, the Saints have secured the domestic league and gone deep in the European competition – losing to a French side in the previous campaign's decider and ousted by Leinster in a last-four clash earlier.

They sit atop the league standings after four wins and a draw and visit Ashton Gate on Saturday as the only unbeaten side, chasing a initial success at their opponent's ground since 2021.

It would be natural to think Dowson, who played 262 elite games for various teams combined, consistently aimed to be a manager.

“During my career, I never seriously considered it,” he says. “Yet as you age, you realise how much you enjoy the game, and what the normal employment entails. I spent some time at Metro Bank doing a trial period. You make the journey a few times, and it was tough – you realise what you do and don’t have.”

Talks with former mentors led to a job at Northampton. Fast-forward several seasons and Dowson manages a team ever more packed with national team players: prominent figures lined up for England against the the Kiwis two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a profound impact from the replacements in the national team's perfect autumn while the fly-half, eventually, will inherit the No 10 jersey.

Is the development of this exceptional generation attributable to the Saints’ culture, or is it fortune?

“It is a bit of both,” comments Dowson. “I would acknowledge the former director of rugby, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the experience they had as a unit is definitely one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so skilled.”

Dowson also namechecks Jim Mallinder, a former boss at the club's home, as a key figure. “It was my good fortune to be coached by really interesting personalities,” he notes. “He had a significant influence on my professional journey, my coaching, how I deal with individuals.”

Saints demonstrate entertaining rugby, which proved literally true in the case of Anthony Belleau. The import was involved with the opposing team overcome in the European competition in last season when Freeman registered a hat-trick. Belleau was impressed to such an extent to buck the pattern of English talent joining Top 14 sides.

“An associate called me and stated: ‘We know of a French 10 who’s in search of a club,’” Dowson says. “I said: ‘We don’t have money for a imported playmaker. A different option will have to wait.’

‘He wants a fresh start, for the possibility to test himself,’ my mate informed me. That caught my attention. We had a conversation with him and his English was excellent, he was articulate, he had a sense of humour.

“We asked: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He said to be trained, to be driven, to be outside his comfort zone and outside the domestic competition. I was like: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he has been. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson comments the 20-year-old Henry Pollock provides a particular energy. Does he know a player like him? “Never,” Dowson responds. “Everyone’s individual but he is unusual and remarkable in many ways. He’s fearless to be who he is.”

The player's spectacular try against Leinster previously demonstrated his freakish talent, but some of his expressive during matches behavior have resulted in allegations of cockiness.

“On occasion seems arrogant in his behavior, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson clarifies. “Furthermore Pollock is being serious constantly. Tactically he has ideas – he’s no fool. I feel on occasion it’s depicted that he’s just this idiot. But he’s clever and good fun within the team.”

Few managers would admit to having a bromance with a colleague, but that is how Dowson frames his relationship with Vesty.

“Sam and I share an curiosity about different things,” he says. “We have a literary circle. He wants to see everything, wants to know all there is, desires to try varied activities, and I believe I’m the alike.

“We converse on numerous things outside rugby: movies, literature, thoughts, culture. When we played the Parisian club in the past season, Notre-Dame was under renovation, so we had a little wander around.”

Another match in the French nation is coming up: The Saints' return with the English competition will be temporary because the Champions Cup kicks in soon. Their next opponents, in the shadow of the border region, are up first on matchday before the Pretoria-based club visit the following weekend.

“I won't be overconfident to the extent to {