Dowson wary of Gloucester 'emotional trigger'

Phil Dowson became Northampton director of rugby ahead of the 2022-23 season

Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson is braced for a backlash from Gloucester on Saturday following last season's crushing victory in the corresponding game.

Saints ran in 14 tries as they won 90-0, breaking a number of records in the process, with three of them scored from England wing Ollie Sleightholme.

The two sides meet again as the Premiership resumes following a month-long hiatus for the autumn internationals.

"We've been in those situations where we've taken results like that and know what it means to go back somewhere and try to put it right," director of rugby Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton.

"I'm under no illusions about what's coming this weekend and I don't think the players are, it's always worth reminding yourself of the context of that game and how they were resting players for a European final.

"We do know the emotional trigger that it will provide for them. That's part of the game, you're going to get a hiding at some point and it's how you react to that - and I've no doubt there will be a reaction from Gloucester."

There are no injury issues for Saints, who are seventh in the table after six rounds of matches, one place below Gloucester, although Dowson said Tommy Freeman will need a rest at some point "over the next three weeks" after being involved in all England's autumn matches.

And the reigning champions - who signed Samoa back row Iakopo Mapu earlier in the week - will go into the game after winning all three Premiership Rugby Cup games earlier this month.

"The quality of the side we picked against Coventry (last weekend) was in preparation to get into Gloucester," said Dowson.

"We're fortunate to have lots of internationals returning who are full of beans and ready to prove a point.

"We've got to make sure that our training level is such that it gives us the best preparation for a performance on Saturday."

Northampton have a reputation for slick, attacking rugby but Dowson wants other areas of their game to be deemed worthy of recognition.

He added: "We want to see a dominant scrum being 'the Saints way'. We want to see our work-rate off a line break as 'the Saints way'. The Saints line-out, we know what it looks like and we want to get it on the pitch.

"We do have a stereotype of being a flamboyant, attacking side that goes wide, but that's built on massive physicality, aggression and all those other elements which are also 'the Saints way'."