Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson has backed his side to bounce back from their Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Leinster when they face Saracens in the Premiership play-off semi-final on Friday. Saints were narrowly beaten at Croke Park after a nervy first-half display, but Dowson believes the painful lessons from Dublin will prove beneficial on home turf.
“We probably built up the Leinster game to something that it wasn’t,” said Dowson. “We started tentatively in the first 20 minutes with lots of unforced errors and turnovers. We have to trust what we do because that is what has got us to this point.” Northampton topped the Premiership table and defeated Saracens home and away during the regular season.
Dowson is confident his attack-minded side will hit their stride quicker this time. “We can definitely be better. I am sure Saracens have been saying ‘We have nothing to lose, let’s fire in and be ourselves’. But at the same time the benefit of playing at home is clear, both statistically and over a long period in the playoffs.”
The match at Franklin’s Gardens will be the last home appearance for long-serving players Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller, who are leaving the club. Dowson acknowledged the emotional significance but urged his team to stay focused. “We have got to make sure we are there emotionally. But you don’t want to overplay that card and for us to be in floods of tears missing Courtney. It is a very fine balance.”
Saints have not won the Premiership title since 2014, but Dowson is confident they have the ability to succeed. “It is a massive game but it is also something we should be confident about. We are under no illusions as to the threat and the quality sat in that Saracens changing room but we are confident we’ve got the ability, if we get it right, to do a job.”
