Northampton Saints’ effort and intent was ‘through the roof’ in their 59-26 victory over Newcastle Red Bulls, according to Phil Dowson.
The Director of Rugby saw his side score five tries in the first half and four in the second to secure an opening‑round Gallagher PREM win for the first time in four seasons, in front of a sold‑out DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
“I was really satisfied,” said Dowson. “We have seen Newcastle in pre‑season move the ball, challenge defences and play fast. So it was a good challenge for our D [defence], and I thought for the most part we stood up to that. There are obviously elements of our game we want to be better at, and I think once we looked after our ball at the breakdown, we got on the front foot and created opportunities.”
Despite starting their league season with a nine‑try win, Dowson believes the best is yet to come as his squad knits together more tightly in the coming weeks following the delayed returns of many of their international stars.
“We got held up two or three times as well, so there are clearly some things in that area of the field we need to be better at,” he explained. “But fundamentally, we were at it. We haven’t had a tonne of time together, including the internationals, so there are still some things we can knock off and be better at.
Two‑thirds of Saints’ tries were shared evenly by Tommy Freeman and James Pater, as both bagged hat‑tricks on Friday evening. But it was the man who pulled the attacking strings, fly‑half Fin Smith, who received TNT Sports’ man‑of‑the‑match accolade – much to the chagrin of 19‑year‑old Pater, who shone brightly in the fullback position.
“He’s [Pater] absolutely fuming, by the way – he said Fin Smith got man of the match and he doesn’t know what he has to do!” said Dowson.
“He’s been great, he’s ice cold, and we saw last season what a quality player he is.
“He beats people, he’s got a high skill level, he’s still got loads to learn, but he’s an outstanding talent.”