Win the Prem once and people would assume it was just the beginning. At various times no one could dethrone Bath, Leicester or Saracens, serial winners by fair means or foul. It is so long since any club defended their English domestic title that “doubling up” feels almost as quaint as reading a physical newspaper or chatting up a complete stranger in the pub.
Which explains why Northampton’s Phil Dowson, whose side are chasing a third title in four years, is keen to draw a distinct line under what happened last season. Yes, the Saints were unplayably good on occasions and deservedly claimed the trophy in June. The last team to win two in a row were Saracens in 2019, shortly before the salary cap small print intervened.
Three of the past six champions, as highlighted by the keen-eyed stats guru Russ Petty, did so having finished sixth or lower the previous season. Northampton, for example, finished a lowly eighth in 2024-25. Dowson, accordingly, is wary of assuming anything.
He says: “We have to be mindful of complacency and saying: ‘We won the league last year doing this, all we need to do is do this again.’ When actually the key is: ‘What do we have to develop?’” Watching Saints train recently was to sense they will be absolutely fine, early-season injuries permitting. Dowson and his coaching partner, Sam Vesty – rapidly becoming the East Midlands’ answer to Starsky & Hutch – are impressively smart and have been liaising closely with the club’s performance psychologist, Oli Dixon. And, of course, there is Henry Pollock, strutting around the paddock like a thoroughbred racehorse and visibly hungry for more.
We’ll forgive him, this time, for all the agent-driven hot air just prior to re-signing for Northampton, the biggest load of Pollocks since Jackson was in his prime. The truth, either way, is that Saints are nicely placed to go back to back, unless the rest can locate another gear. Bath should be right up there, albeit with one or two caveats.
The biggest is the departure of Thomas du Toit, their set-piece colossus. Also gone is Alfie Barbeary, who did not start every game but was unfailingly good for squad morale. Nor is it ideal that, if they do make the playoffs, they will not be able to host a semi-final at the soon-to-be-redeveloped Rec.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
