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This English town is hardly the most exotic destination in the world, but its squad provides an abundance of excitement and passion.

In a town known for shoe production, you could anticipate punting to be the Northampton's primary strategy. However under the director of rugby Phil Dowson, the squad in the club's hues prefer to run with the ball.

Even though embodying a quintessentially English location, they display a panache synonymous with the greatest Gallic practitioners of champagne rugby.

Since Dowson and fellow coach Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, Northampton have secured the Premiership and advanced far in the European competition – beaten by Bordeaux-Bègles in the ultimate match and ousted by Dublin-based club in a penultimate round previously.

They lead the Prem table after multiple successes and a single stalemate and visit Ashton Gate on Saturday as the sole undefeated team, seeking a first win at Bristol's home since 2021.

It would be typical to think Dowson, who played 262 elite games for various teams in total, consistently aimed to be a trainer.

“During my career, I hadn't given it much thought,” he remarks. “Yet as you get older, you realise how much you love the sport, and what the real world looks like. I spent some time at a financial institution doing a trial period. You travel to work a multiple instances, and it was tough – you realise what you have going for you.”

Conversations with Dusty Hare and Jim Mallinder resulted in a job at Northampton. Jump ahead a decade and Dowson guides a squad progressively crammed with national team players: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles were selected for the national side versus the All Blacks two weeks ago.

The young flanker also had a major effect from the replacements in England’s flawless campaign while the fly-half, eventually, will take over the fly-half role.

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

“It is a mix of each,” states Dowson. “I’d credit an ex-coach, who basically just threw them in, and we had some tough days. But the exposure they had as a group is undoubtedly one of the reasons they are so close-knit and so skilled.”

Dowson also cites Mallinder, an earlier coach at Franklin’s Gardens, as a major influence. “I was lucky to be mentored by highly engaging people,” he says. “He had a big impact on my career, my management style, how I deal with individuals.”

The team demonstrate attractive football, which became obvious in the instance of their new signing. The import was part of the French club defeated in the continental tournament in last season when the winger notched a three tries. Belleau was impressed to such an extent to reverse the trend of British stars moving to France.

“A mate called me and remarked: ‘We know of a French 10 who’s looking for a team,’” Dowson explains. “I said: ‘There's no funds for a French fly-half. Thomas Ramos will have to wait.’

‘He wants experience, for the opportunity to prove his worth,’ my friend informed me. That caught my attention. We met with Anthony and his language skills was incredible, he was eloquent, he had a witty personality.

“We asked: ‘What are your goals from this?’ He answered to be guided, to be driven, to be outside his comfort zone and away from the domestic competition. I was thinking: ‘Join us, you’re a fantastic individual.’ And he proved to be. We’re lucky to have him.”

Dowson states the 20-year-old Henry Pollock provides a specific enthusiasm. Does he know an individual similar? “No,” Dowson replies. “All players are individual but Pollock is distinct and special in many ways. He’s unafraid to be authentic.”

The player's spectacular try against their opponents in the past campaign illustrated his unusual ability, but some of his expressive in-game antics have resulted in claims of overconfidence.

“On occasion comes across as overconfident in his conduct, but he’s far from it,” Dowson asserts. “And he's not joking around all the time. In terms of strategy he has ideas – he’s no fool. I think on occasion it’s portrayed that he’s just this idiot. But he’s clever and a positive influence within the team.”

Hardly any coaches would claim to have having a bromance with a head coach, but that is how Dowson describes his relationship with his co-coach.

“We both have an curiosity around various topics,” he explains. “We maintain a reading group. He aims to discover all aspects, wants to know all there is, desires to try varied activities, and I feel like I’m the same.

“We discuss numerous topics outside the game: movies, books, concepts, creativity. When we played our French rivals last year, the landmark was being done up, so we had a little wander around.”

One more date in France is looming: Northampton’s return with the domestic league will be short-lived because the Champions Cup kicks in soon. The French side, in the shadow of the border region, are the opening fixture on the coming weekend before the South African team visit soon after.

“I’m not going to be presumptuous sufficiently to {