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This English town may not be the most tropical destination in the world, but its squad offers plenty of romance and adventure.

In a place renowned for shoe production, you would think kicking to be the Saints’ primary strategy. However under leader Phil Dowson, the squad in the club's hues choose to keep ball in hand.

Although embodying a distinctly UK town, they display a style associated with the best French masters of champagne rugby.

From the time Dowson and his colleague Sam Vesty assumed control in 2022, the Saints have secured the English top flight and gone deep in the continental tournament – defeated by their Gallic opponents in the previous campaign's decider and ousted by Dublin-based club in a last-four clash before that.

They lead the Prem table after multiple successes and a single stalemate and head to Ashton Gate on matchday as the sole undefeated team, chasing a initial success at their opponent's ground since 2021.

It would be expected to think Dowson, who featured in 262 elite matches for Newcastle, Northampton and Worcester altogether, always planned to be a manager.

“When I played, I never seriously considered it,” he states. “However as you age, you comprehend how much you enjoy the sport, and what the everyday life looks like. I spent some time at a banking firm doing an internship. You do the commute a multiple instances, and it was challenging – you grasp what you do and don’t have.”

Discussions with club legends led to a job at Northampton. Move forward a decade and Dowson manages a team ever more crammed with global stars: Tommy Freeman, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell and Alex Coles were selected for the national side against the All Blacks two weeks ago.

An emerging talent also had a profound impact from the replacements in England’s perfect autumn while the number ten, down the line, will take over the pivotal position.

Is the rise of this remarkable group due to the team's ethos, or is it chance?

“This is a bit of both,” states Dowson. “My thanks go to an ex-coach, who basically just threw them in, and we had difficult periods. But the practice they had as a group is certainly one of the reasons they are so united and so talented.”

Dowson also namechecks his predecessor, a former boss at their stadium, as a key figure. “It was my good fortune to be mentored by highly engaging individuals,” he adds. “Mallinder had a significant influence on my rugby life, my training methods, how I manage individuals.”

Saints demonstrate entertaining rugby, which proved literally true in the instance of the French fly-half. The import was part of the Clermont XV beaten in the Champions Cup in last season when the winger scored a hat-trick. The player was impressed sufficiently to buck the pattern of English talent heading across the Channel.

“A mate phoned me and remarked: ‘There’s a French 10 who’s in search of a club,’” Dowson says. “My response was: ‘We lack the money for a imported playmaker. Another target will have to wait.’

‘He wants new challenges, for the opportunity to prove his worth,’ my friend informed me. That caught my attention. We spoke to Belleau and his English was outstanding, he was eloquent, he had a sense of humour.

“We questioned: ‘What are you seeking from this?’ He responded to be trained, to be pushed, to be facing unfamiliar situations and away from the domestic competition. I was saying: ‘Welcome aboard, you’re a great person.’ And he proved to be. We’re blessed to have him.”

Dowson says the 20-year-old the flanker provides a specific enthusiasm. Has he coached a player comparable? “No,” Dowson replies. “All players are original but Henry is distinct and special in many ways. He’s unafraid to be himself.”

Pollock’s breathtaking touchdown against the Irish side in the past campaign illustrated his unusual talent, but some of his demonstrative in-game behavior have brought allegations of cockiness.

“On occasion seems overconfident in his behavior, but he’s the opposite,” Dowson asserts. “And Pollock is not taking the piss the whole time. In terms of strategy he has ideas – he’s no fool. I feel at times it’s portrayed that he’s only a character. But he’s intelligent and great to have to have around.”

Few managers would describe themselves as enjoying a tight friendship with a colleague, but that is how Dowson describes his connection with his co-coach.

“We both have an curiosity regarding various topics,” he explains. “We have a reading group. He desires to explore everything, seeks to understand all there is, wants to experience different things, and I feel like I’m the same.

“We talk about numerous subjects away from the game: movies, books, concepts, creativity. When we met our French rivals in the past season, Notre-Dame was being done up, so we had a quick look.”

Another date in France is approaching: The Saints' reacquaintance with the English competition will be brief because the Champions Cup intervenes soon. Their next opponents, in the vicinity of the mountain range, are up first on Sunday week before the South African team visit a week later.

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