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This English town isn't exactly the most glamorous location in the world, but its club offers an abundance of thrills and drama.

In a city renowned for shoe production, you might expect punting to be the Northampton's main approach. Yet under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the squad in the club's hues opt to keep ball in hand.

Even though representing a typically British location, they display a flair synonymous with the best Gallic exponents of attacking rugby.

After Dowson and his colleague Sam Vesty stepped up in 2022, Northampton have claimed victory in the domestic league and progressed well in the European competition – losing to Bordeaux-Bègles in last season’s final and ousted by Dublin-based club in a semi-final previously.

They sit atop the competition ladder after four wins and a draw and head to Bristol on the weekend as the just one without a loss, aiming for a first win at Bristol's home since 2021.

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

“During my career, I didn't really think about it,” he states. “But as you get older, you realise how much you love the sport, and what the normal employment looks like. I worked briefly at a banking firm doing work experience. You travel to work a few times, and it was tough – you grasp what you possess and lack.”

Talks with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder resulted in a role at Northampton. Move forward eight years and Dowson guides a squad increasingly packed with global stars: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles were selected for the Red Rose against the the Kiwis two weeks ago.

The young flanker also had a major effect off the bench in England’s perfect autumn while Fin Smith, down the line, will inherit the pivotal position.

Is the development of this exceptional group because of the team's ethos, or is it fortune?

“It's a bit of both,” states Dowson. “I’d credit the former director of rugby, who thrust them into action, and we had challenging moments. But the experience they had as a collective is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so gifted.”

Dowson also cites his predecessor, a former boss at Franklin’s Gardens, as a major influence. “It was my good fortune to be guided by really interesting individuals,” he notes. “He had a major effect on my rugby life, my management style, how I interact with others.”

Northampton play entertaining rugby, which proved literally true in the example of Anthony Belleau. The import was part of the Clermont XV beaten in the European competition in last season when the winger registered a hat-trick. The player liked what he saw to such an extent to buck the pattern of UK players joining Top 14 sides.

“An associate rang me and said: ‘We've found a French 10 who’s in search of a club,’” Dowson explains. “I replied: ‘We lack the funds for a French fly-half. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He wants a fresh start, for the possibility to test himself,’ my mate told me. That caught my attention. We met with Anthony and his English was excellent, he was well-spoken, he had a sense of humour.

“We questioned: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He said to be guided, to be driven, to be in a new environment and beyond the domestic competition. I was saying: ‘Come on in, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he has been. We’re lucky to have him.”

Dowson says the 20-year-old the flanker provides a specific vitality. Has he encountered anyone like him? “Never,” Dowson replies. “Everyone’s unique but he is different and unique in numerous aspects. He’s not afraid to be who he is.”

His sensational try against the Irish side last season showcased his exceptional ability, but various his expressive in-game antics have brought allegations of arrogance.

“He sometimes appears overconfident in his actions, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson clarifies. “Furthermore he's not joking around constantly. Game-wise he has ideas – he’s a smart player. I think on occasion it’s portrayed that he’s only a character. But he’s clever and great to have to have around.”

Hardly any managers would describe themselves as enjoying a tight friendship with a colleague, but that is how Dowson frames his connection with his co-coach.

“We both possess an curiosity around diverse subjects,” he notes. “We have a book club. He wants to see everything, aims to learn everything, desires to try different things, and I believe I’m the same.

“We discuss many subjects away from rugby: films, books, concepts, creativity. When we met Stade [Français] in the past season, Notre-Dame was under renovation, so we had a brief exploration.”

Another match in Gall is coming up: Northampton’s comeback with the English competition will be short-lived because the Champions Cup takes over next week. Pau, in the shadow of the border region, are up first on Sunday week before the Bulls visit soon after.

“I refuse to be presumptuous sufficiently to {