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This English town may not be the most exotic spot in the world, but its club offers plenty of excitement and passion.

In a town famous for footwear manufacturing, you could anticipate kicking to be the Saints’ primary strategy. But under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the squad in their distinctive colors prefer to keep ball in hand.

Although embodying a quintessentially English location, they display a flair typical of the finest Gallic exponents of expansive play.

Since Dowson and the head coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, Northampton have won the Premiership and gone deep in the European competition – losing to Bordeaux-Bègles in last season’s final and eliminated by Dublin-based club in a penultimate round before that.

They currently top the Prem table after multiple successes and a single stalemate and travel to their West Country rivals 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 featured in 262 elite matches for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester in total, always planned to be a coach.

“When I played, I didn't really think about it,” he states. “Yet as you get older, you realise how much you love the game, and what the normal employment entails. I spent some time at a financial institution doing a trial period. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was tough – you see what you do and don’t have.”

Talks with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder led to a position at the Saints. Move forward a decade and Dowson leads a roster progressively packed with internationals: key individuals were selected for the Red Rose against the All Blacks two weeks ago.

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

Is the emergence of this exceptional group due to the team's ethos, or is it luck?

“It is a bit of both,” states Dowson. “My thanks go to an ex-coach, who thrust them into action, and we had challenging moments. But the practice they had as a group is certainly one of the factors they are so close-knit and so gifted.”

Dowson also mentions Mallinder, another predecessor at their stadium, as a key figure. “I was lucky to be mentored by highly engaging people,” he adds. “He had a significant influence on my rugby life, my coaching, how I manage individuals.”

Saints execute appealing football, which became obvious in the example of Anthony Belleau. The Gallic player was a member of the French club beaten in the continental tournament in the spring when Tommy Freeman scored a triple. He admired the style sufficiently to go against the flow of English talent moving to France.

“A friend called me and remarked: ‘We've found a fly-half from France who’s in search of a club,’” Dowson says. “My response was: ‘There's no budget for a imported playmaker. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’

‘He desires new challenges, for the possibility to prove his worth,’ my mate said. That caught my attention. We spoke to Anthony and his communication was excellent, he was well-spoken, he had a sense of humour.

“We questioned: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He said to be guided, to be driven, to be outside his comfort zone and away from the domestic competition. I was saying: ‘Join us, you’re a legend of a man.’ And he has been. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson says the emerging Henry Pollock provides a particular vitality. Does he know an individual similar? “Not really,” Dowson answers. “Each person is original but he is distinct and special in numerous aspects. He’s not afraid to be himself.”

His sensational try against their opponents in the past campaign demonstrated his unusual ability, but various his animated on-field behavior have resulted in accusations of arrogance.

“He sometimes appears overconfident in his behavior, but he’s not,” Dowson says. “Plus Henry’s not taking the piss constantly. Tactically he has ideas – he’s a smart player. I believe sometimes it’s depicted that he’s merely a joker. But he’s intelligent and a positive influence in the squad.”

Not many managers would admit to having a bromance with a assistant, but that is how Dowson characterizes his partnership with Vesty.

“Together possess an curiosity around various topics,” he notes. “We have a book club. He wants to see various elements, seeks to understand all there is, desires to try new experiences, and I believe I’m the similar.

“We talk about lots of topics away from the sport: cinema, books, thoughts, culture. When we faced Stade [Français] in the past season, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a brief exploration.”

A further date in France is looming: The Saints' return with the domestic league will be short-lived because the continental event intervenes soon. The French side, in the vicinity of the Pyrenees, are the opening fixture on the coming weekend before the South African team visit a week later.

“I’m not going to be presumptuous sufficiently to {