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Northampton is hardly the most exotic location in the world, but its rugby union team delivers an abundance of romance and adventure.

In a city famous for shoe production, you might expect kicking to be the Saints’ main approach. But under head coach Phil Dowson, the team in their distinctive colors opt to run with the ball.

Even though playing for a quintessentially English location, they exhibit a flair synonymous with the finest French masters of expansive play.

Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty took over in 2022, the Saints have won the English top flight and gone deep in the European competition – losing to Bordeaux-Bègles in the previous campaign's decider and knocked out by Dublin-based club in a last-four clash previously.

They sit atop the competition ladder after multiple successes and a single stalemate and travel to Ashton Gate on matchday as the only unbeaten side, aiming for a initial success at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be expected to think Dowson, who participated in 262 premier games for multiple clubs in total, had long intended to be a manager.

“During my career, I didn't really think about it,” he says. “However as you get older, you understand how much you enjoy the game, and what the normal employment looks like. I worked briefly at Metro Bank doing work experience. You make the journey a few times, and it was difficult – you grasp what you have going for you.”

Conversations with club legends led to a role at the Saints. Fast-forward a decade and Dowson leads a team ever more filled with national team players: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles started for the national side facing the All Blacks two weeks ago.

The young flanker also had a profound impact from the replacements in England’s successful series while the fly-half, eventually, will assume the No 10 jersey.

Is the development of this outstanding cohort attributable to the club's environment, or is it chance?

“This is a mix of each,” comments Dowson. “I would acknowledge Chris Boyd, who basically just threw them in, and we had challenging moments. But the experience they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the factors they are so tight and so talented.”

Dowson also mentions his predecessor, another predecessor at Franklin’s Gardens, as a major influence. “It was my good fortune to be mentored by highly engaging personalities,” he notes. “Jim had a big impact on my career, my management style, how I deal with others.”

Northampton play appealing the game, which proved literally true in the instance of their new signing. The Gallic player was a member of the opposing team beaten in the Champions Cup in the spring when Tommy Freeman registered a hat-trick. Belleau was impressed to such an extent to buck the pattern of English talent joining Top 14 sides.

“A friend called me and stated: ‘We've found a French 10 who’s in search of a side,’” Dowson explains. “I said: ‘We don’t have funds for a French fly-half. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’

‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the possibility to challenge himself,’ my mate said. That caught my attention. We spoke to Anthony and his language skills was incredible, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.

“We inquired: ‘What do you want from this?’ He answered to be coached, to be challenged, to be in a new environment and beyond the domestic competition. I was thinking: ‘Join us, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he has been. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson comments the 20-year-old Henry Pollock offers a unique energy. Has he coached a player like him? “Never,” Dowson answers. “Everyone’s unique but he is different and unique in multiple respects. He’s fearless to be authentic.”

The player's breathtaking touchdown against Leinster previously demonstrated his exceptional talent, but various his expressive in-game behavior have brought accusations of arrogance.

“On occasion comes across as arrogant in his actions, but he’s not,” Dowson clarifies. “Plus Henry’s not joking around the whole time. In terms of strategy he has ideas – he’s not a clown. I think on occasion it’s depicted that he’s merely a joker. But he’s clever and good fun within the team.”

Few directors of rugby would claim to have having a bromance with a colleague, but that is how Dowson frames his partnership with Sam Vesty.

“We both have an inquisitiveness around diverse subjects,” he notes. “We run a book club. He wants to see everything, aims to learn each detail, aims to encounter varied activities, and I think I’m the alike.

“We discuss many topics away from rugby: movies, reading, concepts, creativity. When we met our French rivals previously, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a brief exploration.”

Another match in the French nation is looming: The Saints' return with the domestic league will be brief because the European tournament kicks in next week. Pau, in the vicinity of the mountain range, are the opening fixture on the coming weekend before the Pretoria-based club travel to the following weekend.

“I refuse to be arrogant enough to {