Phil Dowson says Northampton Saints’ mindset was what let them down as the Gallagher PREM returned on Saturday, with a ‘flat’ start seeing his side defeated for the first time in the league this term.
Saints found themselves 35-0 down at half-time and, despite a re-energised effort in the second 40 minutes seeing them send JJ Van Der Mescht and Tom Litchfield over the whitewash, had left themselves too much to do to hope for a comeback.
The result meant Dowson’s side left Ashton Gate without any league points and saw them drop to second in the PREM table after results elsewhere before Sunday’s matches.
Dowson said: “It was ugly again; we didn’t get it right at Ashton Gate again.
“I’ve got memories of some very poor performances at this stadium, and it’s another one to add to that list.
“We were drastically short of any sort of fight in the first half, which is unusual and it’s not like this side at all.
“As a coaching group we need to dig down into that, make sure we learn those lessons and work out what we want to be moving forward.”
Saints were instantly on the back foot in Bristol as Edoardo Todaro was shown a 20-minute red card after just 90 seconds. And Bristol made the most of that period with an extra man, scoring three tries before Saints could bring Rory Hutchinson onto the field in Todaro’s place.
Northampton’s performance improved markedly after the interval, holding their hosts away from the tryline until the game’s dying moments while managing to cross twice themselves.
Litchfield’s score was pegged instantly as a Try of the Season contender and proved exactly how dangerous Northampton can be when they are firing. But it was too little, too late for Saints, and, for Dowson, it was the group’s mindset that was off the mark.
“When you lose a man, it can either galvanise you or gut you,” said Dowson.
“We looked like it was a disappointment rather than getting the bit between our teeth and getting stuck in, working harder. We looked a bit forlorn which is frustrating.
“There’s a tiny bit of solace that there was visibly more effort in that second half, with more fight and a bit more about us. But it was just too little, too late.
“This is a capable group, but we got the mindset wrong today. And that’s the most frustrating thing because when we get the mindset right, we’re always at it.”
While disappointing, the loss marked Saints’ first in the PREM this term – with the side having drawn with Exeter Chiefs of the opening day and then gone on to defeat Gloucester Rugby, Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Red Bulls and Saracens in the first block of matches.
And despite the result not going their way at Ashton Gate, Northampton remain second in the PREM standings after Saturday’s other results – heading into the league’s second hiatus, this time for the Investec Champions Cup, still firmly in the fight.
Dowson said: “I’m sure, theoretically, it’s possible but it’s very unlikely that a side will ever go unbeaten throughout the season in this league.
“We’ve got to make sure we learn from the result in Bristol, and we make sure that that doesn’t happen again.
“It happened last year for us – when we lost to Leicester at home 33-0 – and the boys regrouped and reconnected and got after it. I’m hoping that’s the reaction we’ll get this week too.”