Phil Dowson, the director of rugby at Northampton Saints, has revealed that he once tried working for a bank before turning to coaching. The 43-year-old, who played 262 top-flight matches for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester, said he never seriously considered coaching during his playing days but changed his mind after experiencing the 'real world'.
'I spent some time at Metro Bank doing work experience. You do the commute a few times, and it was tough – you realise what you do and don't have,' Dowson told the source. Conversations with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder led to a role at Northampton, and he has since guided the Saints to Premiership glory and deep runs in the Champions Cup.
Dowson praised his predecessor Chris Boyd for throwing young players into the deep end, which he believes contributed to the emergence of talents like Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Henry Pollock. 'The experience they had as a group is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so tight and so talented,' he said.
The Saints' attractive style of play has even attracted French fly-half Anthony Belleau, who joined from Clermont in the summer. Dowson described Belleau as 'a legend of a man' and praised his desire to be coached and pushed outside his comfort zone.
Dowson also addressed perceptions of Henry Pollock, saying the 20-year-old is often misunderstood. 'He sometimes comes across as arrogant in his actions, but he's not. Tactically he has input – he's not a clown,' Dowson said. He also described his relationship with head coach Sam Vesty as a 'bromance', noting their shared inquisitiveness and book club.
