Dowson pleased with Saints’ ‘vigour’ in Bedford win

Phil Dowson was pleased to see his Northampton Saints side turn their preseason efforts into victory against Bedford Blues on Friday night. 

The men in Black, Green and Gold lifted the Mobbs Memorial Trophy at the end of a back-and-forth clash at Goldington Road, which saw Northampton run out eventual 40-28 victors.

Saints scored seven tries to Bedford’s four – with Toby Thame, Angus Scott-Young, James Martin and Henry Lumley all crossing the tryline, while 18-year-old James Pater grabbed himself a first-half brace. 

On Saints’ first hit-out, Dowson said: “It was very good. Bedford were second in the Champ last year, they’d already played two games, they’ve got good players playing for them and we know what a good side they are, particularly at home.

“We knew how fired up they would be for this game and we know (Bedford Director of Rugby) Mike Rayer very well, as well as Jim Henry (Saints’ Academy coach) coaching with them and us.

“It made it a really interesting fixture. The game was a reflection of how we train and a reflection of how Bedford have started with their win against Cornish Pirates.

“We’ve trained against Doncaster Knights, Bedford and Ealing Trailfinders in pretty tasty training sessions, so it was great to see that sort of level come out in this game as well.

“It’s really pleasing. Obviously, it’s about performance and making sure what we've practiced in training we’re seeing images of.”

Saints shot out to a 14-0 lead in the game’s opening quarter thanks to early Pater and Thame scores, but Bedford scored two of their own to pull level just before the break. 

Pater’s second and Scott-Young’s efforts after the turnaround stretched Northampton’s lead, but Champ side Blues stayed in the fight and it wasn’t until the final quarter that Martin’s intercept try was coupled with Lumley’s score to seal the victory for the men in Black, Green and Gold. 

“You never really know until you start playing competitive games but from a squad cohesion position, we’re in a really good place,” Dowson said.

“There’s an established group and the players who have come in have integrated really well.

“The players have made them feel really welcome and how connected we are is one of our strengths.

“From a rugby point of view, there’s a few things still to cover and a few players still to come back.

“We’re on the way there, we’re working incredibly hard and we're in a good space but you never know until you tip up against Saracens and Exeter in a couple of weeks’ time.”

The match saw Northampton blood a group of their young stars, with the likes of Pater, Edoardo Todaro, Jack Lawrence, Siep Walta and Lumley all featuring in their first match since graduating from Saints’ Under-18s set-up.

And it was the performances of those up-and-coming players that particularly impressed the Saints Director of Rugby.

Dowson said: “The first-year Academy players have been outstanding to a man, and to see people like James Pater, Edoardo Todaro and Jack Lawrence come on has been fantastic.

“It shows what a great job Mark Hopley is doing with the Academy and it shows how hard these players are working.”

Saints were defeated in their last outing to Bedford, losing out 33-24 in the season opener back in 2023, and struggled for form away from home last term as they secured just one victory away from cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in the Gallagher PREM. 

And Dowson was happy to get the monkey off their back early this term, securing their first win on the road. 

“It's always nice to win a game and that puts us in a really nice position to head into Glasgow with some different players getting some opportunities as well,” Dowson said. “There will be a few guys coming back from injury.

“At the back end of last year and with the England camp, there’s a few soft tissue injuries with various players so we’re slowly getting those guys back.

“The great thing about this Glasgow game is that we can manage minutes, we can give Sam Graham 20 or 30 minutes and not worry too much about it, which we can’t do against Sarries in the PRC, which is a bit of a bugbear of mine.

“Against Glasgow we can make sure we manage guys before we get into the fire of it.”