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This English town is hardly the most glamorous spot globally, but its club provides a great deal of romance and adventure.

In a place famous for footwear manufacturing, you could anticipate kicking to be the Saints’ primary strategy. But under head coach Phil Dowson, the team in their distinctive colors opt to retain possession.

Even though embodying a distinctly UK location, they showcase a flair synonymous with the best French practitioners of champagne rugby.

After Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty took over in 2022, the Saints have claimed victory in the English top flight and gone deep in the Champions Cup – losing to their Gallic opponents in the previous campaign's decider and ousted by the Irish province in a last-four clash earlier.

They currently top the Prem table after multiple successes and a single stalemate and travel to their West Country rivals on matchday as the just one without a loss, aiming for a maiden victory at their opponent's ground since 2021.

It would be typical to think Dowson, who featured in 262 elite games for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester in total, always planned to be a coach.

“As a professional, I hadn't given it much thought,” he says. “Yet as you get older, you understand how much you appreciate the rugby, and what the everyday life looks like. I had a stint at Metro Bank doing an internship. You travel to work a few times, and it was difficult – you realise what you do and don’t have.”

Conversations with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder culminated in a job at the Saints. Fast-forward eight years and Dowson manages a squad ever more filled with global stars: key individuals lined up for the Red Rose facing the All Blacks two weeks ago.

The young flanker also had a major effect off the bench in England’s perfect autumn while the number ten, eventually, will take over the No 10 jersey.

Is the rise of this remarkable group because of the club's environment, or is it luck?

“This is a mix of each,” comments Dowson. “My thanks go to Chris Boyd, who basically just threw them in, and we had challenging moments. But the experience they had as a group is definitely one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so talented.”

Dowson also namechecks his predecessor, an earlier coach at Franklin’s Gardens, as a major influence. “I’ve been fortunate to be guided by really interesting personalities,” he adds. “Jim had a big impact on my professional journey, my management style, how I deal with others.”

The team play appealing rugby, which was clearly evident in the instance of Anthony Belleau. The Frenchman was part of the opposing team beaten in the Champions Cup in the spring when Tommy Freeman notched a triple. He liked what he saw enough to go against the flow of British stars moving to France.

“A friend rang me and remarked: ‘There’s a Gallic number ten who’s in search of a side,’” Dowson recalls. “I replied: ‘There's no budget for a imported playmaker. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’

‘He desires experience, for the opportunity to challenge himself,’ my mate informed me. That intrigued us. We met with Belleau and his English was excellent, he was articulate, he had a funny side.

“We inquired: ‘What do you want from this?’ He answered to be trained, to be driven, to be in a new environment and away from the domestic competition. I was thinking: ‘Come on in, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he has been. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson comments the young Pollock offers a particular vitality. Has he encountered a player similar? “Not really,” Dowson responds. “All players are original but Henry is different and unique in numerous aspects. He’s fearless to be himself.”

His breathtaking try against the Irish side in the past campaign showcased his exceptional ability, but some of his demonstrative in-game behavior have resulted in accusations of overconfidence.

“He sometimes seems cocky in his behavior, but he’s far from it,” Dowson says. “Plus he's not taking the piss all the time. Game-wise he has contributions – he’s no fool. I believe at times it’s portrayed that he’s just this idiot. But he’s clever and a positive influence within the team.”

Few managers would describe themselves as sharing a close bond with a assistant, but that is how Dowson describes his relationship with Sam Vesty.

“Sam and I have an interest about different things,” he says. “We maintain a literary circle. He aims to discover everything, seeks to understand everything, aims to encounter new experiences, and I believe I’m the same.

“We talk about lots of topics beyond the sport: cinema, reading, concepts, creativity. When we met our French rivals previously, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a little wander around.”

Another fixture in the French nation is coming up: Northampton’s return with the domestic league will be short-lived because the continental event intervenes next week. Pau, in the shadow of the mountain range, are the opening fixture on matchday before the Bulls visit soon after.

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