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This English town is hardly the most tropical spot in the world, but its squad offers an abundance of excitement and passion.

In a town known for footwear manufacturing, you could anticipate kicking to be the Northampton's primary strategy. But under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the side in the club's hues prefer to retain possession.

Despite playing for a quintessentially English community, they display a panache associated with the finest French exponents of expansive play.

Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, the Saints have won the Premiership and advanced far in the Champions Cup – beaten by their Gallic opponents in the previous campaign's decider and knocked out by Dublin-based club in a penultimate round before that.

They lead the Prem table after multiple successes and a single stalemate and travel to their West Country rivals on matchday as the only unbeaten side, aiming for a first win at Ashton Gate since 2021.

It would be expected to think Dowson, who played 262 top-flight matches for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester combined, always planned to be a coach.

“When I played, I never seriously considered it,” he says. “Yet as you age, you understand how much you love the sport, and what the real world entails. I spent some time at a financial institution doing an internship. You do the commute a several occasions, and it was tough – you grasp what you have going for you.”

Talks with former mentors led to a position at Northampton. Fast-forward a decade and Dowson manages a roster increasingly filled with global stars: key individuals were selected for England facing the the Kiwis two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a profound impact off the bench in England’s flawless campaign while Fin Smith, down the line, will assume the No 10 jersey.

Is the rise of this exceptional generation due to the team's ethos, or is it chance?

“This is a bit of both,” comments 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 collective is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so tight and so talented.”

Dowson also namechecks Jim Mallinder, a former boss at Franklin’s Gardens, as a key figure. “It was my good fortune to be guided by really interesting people,” he adds. “Mallinder had a big impact on my career, my training methods, how I deal with people.”

Northampton execute appealing the game, which proved literally true in the instance of their new signing. The import was a member of the French club overcome in the continental tournament in last season when the winger notched a three tries. The player was impressed enough to reverse the trend of English talent heading across the Channel.

“A mate rang me and said: ‘There’s a French 10 who’s in search of a club,’” Dowson says. “I said: ‘We don’t have funds for a imported playmaker. A different option will have to wait.’

‘He’s looking for experience, for the opportunity to test himself,’ my contact told me. That interested me. We met with Belleau and his English was excellent, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.

“We inquired: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He said to be guided, to be challenged, to be outside his comfort zone and beyond the French league. I was like: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he has been. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson comments the emerging Pollock brings a specific vitality. Has he coached anyone comparable? “Not really,” Dowson replies. “Each person is original but Pollock is different and unique in many ways. He’s fearless to be authentic.”

Pollock’s breathtaking touchdown against the Irish side last season demonstrated his freakish talent, but various his expressive in-game behavior have led to allegations of overconfidence.

“On occasion seems cocky in his conduct, but he’s far from it,” Dowson asserts. “Plus Henry’s not joking around the whole time. Tactically he has input – he’s not a clown. I think on occasion it’s depicted that he’s merely a joker. But he’s clever and great to have within the team.”

Few directors of rugby would admit to enjoying a tight friendship with a assistant, but that is how Dowson frames his relationship with Vesty.

“Sam and I possess an inquisitiveness regarding diverse subjects,” he notes. “We run a literary circle. He desires to explore various elements, aims to learn all there is, aims to encounter new experiences, and I feel like I’m the similar.

“We converse on lots of subjects outside the game: movies, literature, ideas, culture. When we met the Parisian club previously, the cathedral was under renovation, so we had a brief exploration.”

A further date in France is coming up: Northampton’s reacquaintance with the English competition will be brief because the Champions Cup takes over next week. The French side, in the vicinity of the border region, are the opening fixture on matchday before the Pretoria-based club travel to the following weekend.

“I’m not going to be arrogant to the extent to {