Bulls win can be platform for Saints season - Dowson

Northampton Saints reached the semi-final in last season's European Champions Cup

Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson hopes the victory in South Africa against Bulls can be a platform on which to build for the rest of the season.

Saints' 30-21 win in Pretoria left them top of Champions Cup Pool 2 at the halfway stage.

Now the English champions will focus again on the Premiership, where they are down in eighth place.

"From a point of view as regards to momentum for the rest of the season, this gives us a lot of confidence," Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton.

"When we get it right, we're very, very competitive.

"It's been great for us to get away from the cold and the wet of the UK and to have a week together - we haven't had a pre-season trip for a while. It's been very valuable and for the players to put a performance out like that was incredible."

With a maximum of 10 points from their opening two Champions Cup fixtures, Northampton are in a very strong position to reach the knockout stages before a trip to Stade Francais and a home game with Munster in January.

But before then, they have a chance to get their domestic form up and running, with Premiership games against Saracens, Newcastle Falcons and Bath.

Having lost three of their past four in that competition, they have slipped down the table, 10 points below the top-four spots.

However, conquering Bulls at altitude will boost confidence.

"When you come to these tough environments, you find out a lot about yourselves," said Dowson.

"We answered a lot of questions in terms of how we approach those challenges. We met them head-on and put in a performance that will hopefully push us on for the rest of the season."

He added: "It's only Munster and Glasgow, I think, in knockout games, who have been able to get a win here.

"I think in these environments, you learn a lot about yourselves."