Sold-out cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens can make a difference, says Dowson

Phil Dowson believes a sold-out cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens can make the difference as Northampton Saints seek a sixth successive win against Sale Sharks this weekend.

There isn’t a spare ticket in the house for Saturday’s heavyweight clash as the Gallagher Premiership’s third and second place teams go head-to-head in the Round 10 encounter (kick-off: 3.05pm).

The men in Black, Green and Gold go into the match after securing a thrilling 31-29 win in front of more than 15,000 supporters at Kingsholm two days before Christmas.

“Gloucester was a sell-out last week and the atmosphere was great,” said Dowson. “The Shed [was] going nuts. And it will be the same this week, we are excited about playing in front of a full house.

The victory in Gloucestershire saw Saints build a strong lead but ultimately they needed a sensational late try from Tom Litchfield – which was crucially converted from the touchline by Fin Smith – and home fly-half Adam Hastings to miss a kick at the death, to head home with maximum points.  

Despite the victory, Dowson admitted the players were frustrated with how they let their lead slip in the match but there was plenty to be positive about when they reconvened on Boxing Day after two days off.

“They were a bit annoyed and didn’t feel that they’d put their best foot forward,” said Dowson. “Sometimes that is going to happen and sometimes you have to find different ways of winning a game.

“What we did say on Boxing Day was that the effort and the energy that we put into that performance was outstanding. That’s how we got across the line. There was loads of parts of the game which we weren’t quite where we want to be but we scrambled, we worked, we defended our mauls well, we were brilliant in the backdown in attack.

“We just about managed to get through. We gave them an opportunity at the end, but we did enough to win. We scored some good tries and just about held out.”

Saturday’s visitors Sale Sharks have won five of their last six Gallagher Premiership matches and kept the pressure on league leaders Bath with a 22-20 Round 9 win over the team that pipped them to the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership title, Saracens, last Friday night.

“They are a very good side,” added Dowson. “They’re very physical and have got a very good set-piece. They have got the Du Preez brothers, the Currys, they’ve got guys who want to get them going forward, packed full of internationals.

“George Ford at ten is a class act as we always say with Manu [Tuilagi] there to punch holes. I think Rob du Preez is one of the most improved players in the league for the last two seasons, he has been outstanding. 

Saturday’s game also marks the start of the second half of the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership season, 11 weeks after Saints lost the reverse fixture on the opening round of the campaign 20-15 at the Salford Community Stadium.

Despite Tommy Freeman registering a second-minute try to open the scoring, it was Sale who built a ten-point lead at the break courtesy of tries from Tom Roebuck, Tom O’Flaherty and Ethan Caine. Saints made a fight of it after the break with James Ramm’s try closing the gap but despite some heavy late pressure, had to be content with a losing bonus point for their troubles.

Dowson recalled: “They put in a goalline stand at the end which shows some of their character and what they are built on. Alex Sanderson has spoken a lot about in the past about them having that northern grit.

“We could’ve won that game, but I don’t think it was ever a case of should’ve won the game; we gave ourselves an opportunity away from home and that is all you can ask for I think.”