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This English town is hardly the most glamorous destination in the world, but its club provides an abundance of thrills and drama.

In a place famous for footwear manufacturing, you would think boot work to be the Northampton's main approach. However under head coach Phil Dowson, the squad in the club's hues opt to keep ball in hand.

Even though embodying a distinctly UK town, they exhibit a panache synonymous with the greatest Gallic practitioners of champagne rugby.

Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty took over in 2022, the Saints have claimed victory in the Premiership and progressed well in the Champions Cup – losing to a French side in last season’s final and eliminated by Dublin-based club in a last-four clash previously.

They sit atop the competition ladder after four wins and a draw and visit Bristol on matchday as the only unbeaten side, aiming for a initial success at their opponent's ground since 2021.

It would be natural to think Dowson, who featured in 262 top-flight matches for various teams in total, always planned to be a manager.

“When I played, I hadn't given it much thought,” he states. “Yet as you get older, you understand how much you enjoy the rugby, and what the real world looks like. I worked briefly at Metro Bank doing work experience. You travel to work a few times, and it was tough – you see what you have going for you.”

Discussions with former mentors culminated in a role at the Saints. Fast-forward a decade and Dowson manages a team increasingly filled with national team players: key individuals started for the national side versus the New Zealand two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a significant influence off the bench in England’s successful series while the number ten, eventually, will assume the pivotal position.

Is the rise of this remarkable group attributable to the Saints’ culture, or is it luck?

“It's a mix of each,” says Dowson. “I’d credit the former director of rugby, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the practice they had as a collective is certainly one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so gifted.”

Dowson also mentions his predecessor, a former boss at their stadium, as a major influence. “I’ve been fortunate to be coached by highly engaging personalities,” he says. “He had a significant influence on my career, my coaching, how I interact with others.”

Saints play appealing rugby, which proved literally true in the example of Anthony Belleau. The Gallic player was part of the opposing team beaten in the European competition in the spring when the winger scored a hat-trick. He liked what he saw enough to reverse the trend of British stars moving to France.

“An associate phoned me and remarked: ‘We know of a French 10 who’s seeking a club,’” Dowson says. “I said: ‘There's no funds for a overseas star. A different option will have to wait.’

‘He’s looking for new challenges, for the opportunity to prove his worth,’ my friend told me. That caught my attention. We spoke to Belleau and his English was excellent, he was eloquent, he had a witty personality.

“We inquired: ‘What do you want from this?’ He answered to be trained, to be challenged, to be facing unfamiliar situations and beyond the French league. I was thinking: ‘Join us, you’re a great person.’ And he turned out to be. We’re fortunate to have him.”

Dowson says the young the flanker brings a specific enthusiasm. Has he coached anyone comparable? “No,” Dowson responds. “All players are original but he is unusual and remarkable in multiple respects. He’s not afraid to be who he is.”

The player's sensational score against Leinster in the past campaign illustrated his unusual skill, but a few of his animated on-field actions have brought claims of arrogance.

“He sometimes seems arrogant in his conduct, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson asserts. “Furthermore he's being serious all the time. Game-wise he has contributions – he’s a smart player. I believe sometimes it’s depicted that he’s just this idiot. But he’s bright and a positive influence within the team.”

Few directors of rugby would describe themselves as having a bromance with a colleague, but that is how Dowson describes his relationship with Sam Vesty.

“Together have an curiosity about different things,” he notes. “We have a reading group. He wants to see various elements, wants to know everything, aims to encounter different things, and I believe I’m the alike.

“We converse on numerous topics away from the game: movies, books, thoughts, creativity. When we played our French rivals in the past season, the cathedral was being done up, so we had a brief exploration.”

Another fixture in France is approaching: Northampton’s reacquaintance with the Prem will be temporary because the Champions Cup intervenes shortly. Their next opponents, in the shadow of the mountain range, are the initial challenge on Sunday week before the Pretoria-based club visit the following weekend.

“I won't be presumptuous enough to {