Dowson tips his hat to Saints’ ‘big boys’ after semi-final triumph

Northampton Saints head coach Phil Dowson highlighted his side’s ‘all-court game’ as his side booked a spot in the Gallagher Premiership Final for the first time in a decade.

Saracens held a six-point lead after the opening quarter of an hour as Elliot Daly slotted two penalties, but the men in Black, Green and Gold went into the break ten points up as a Burger Odendaal converted try was followed by three Fin Smith penalties.

The defending champions cut the gap to three points when Alex Lewington struck after 55 minutes, but two more Smith penalties was enough to see Saints over the line, despite some late drama following Lucio Cinti’s try.

“It was so tight throughout and you could see with that score at the end with two minutes to go, everyone’s right on the edge,” Dowson said.

“We dealt with lots of things they threw at us. They came after us at the breakdown and we just about got over that in the second half. They came after us at the set piece – the scrum was a mess, the lineout we couldn’t get a lot of ball in the first half – and in the second half we gradually worked into the game and built a lot more pressure.

“A lot of the game in the second half was played in Sarries’ half and we managed to create some opportunities but also kicked penalties as well.”

“You have to have an all-court game because on days like today, you rely on it. Matt Ferguson and the big boys up front have done an unbelievable job. They’ve done a brilliant job all season and it’s great to see Alex Waller on his last outing here be so dominant.”

One of those ‘big boys’ came in the form of Courtney Lawes, who in his final appearance at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, was a standout performer once again.

“He’s a joke, isn’t he!” Dowson said. “He’s actually getting better, not many players go from second row to back row, it’s normally the other way, he’s evolving all the time with the way his game’s growing. The confidence he gives people in the changing room, what a legend!

Dowson also felt that the men in Black, Green and Gold learned a lot from their Investec Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Leinster earlier in the campaign. 

“We’ve played in a semi-final earlier this season and we were a little bit frustrated because in the first 20 minutes against Leinster at Croke Park we didn’t feel like we got our game on the pitch,” Dowson said.

“We wanted to do that this time and it's obviously tough against a side like Sarries, who were closing us down at the breakdown, so we just wanted to express ourselves more.

“Maybe the attack didn't get what we normally get but against an unbelievable Saracens defence, that's going to happen in these sorts of games.

“We talked about not playing the occasion but playing the game and doing all the things that got us to this point.”