Dowson urges Saints to stay innovative
Phil Dowson says Saints have to stay "one step ahead" of their rivals if they are to pick up their first Premiership crown at the end of the season.
Saints kick-off the Aviva Premiership against champions and east midlands 'neighbours' Leicester on Sunday, and Dowson realises after last season's storming effort to finish second in the league their rivals will be very aware of their abilities.
There weren't many pundits picking Saints out as Leicester's nearest challengers at the start of last season, but this time they are a marked team.
It means Saints will have to come up with some new tricks to surprise the opposition this term, but Dowson is confident Mallinder and coaches Dorian West and Paul Grayson will have something up their sleeve.
Dowson said: "You have to stay one step ahead of the game and stay innovative, which I think Dorian West did with the lineout stuff last season.
"As soon as you are predictable people will learn how to defend against you. We will keep pushing on and trying to stay ahead of the opposition. It is not as if we are going to be underrated anymore."
Only two teams have beaten Saints at Franklin's Gardens since they returned to the Premiership in 2008, Saracens twice and Newcastle when Dowson captained the Falcons side.
It is a proud home record, but after felling the fortress with Newcastle Dowson knows how such a winning streak can motivate the opposition.
"There will be lots of people who want to turn us over at Franklin's Gardens," said Dowson.
"There are lots of good sides and we have to aspire to the highest standards and that is what we have always done here.
"We have to aspire to competing on all fronts. It is going to be tough, there are a lot of good sides in the Premiership who have brought in good players, who are going to be kicking on and aware of the threat we have now."
Dowson goes into the new season after a superb first campaign for Saints that climaxed with his first England start against New Zealand Maori.
The 28-year-old admitted he was in the best form of his career last season and after the boost of getting into the England squad he is looking to kick on again.
"It was a massive boost at the end of the season to get on the England tour," said Dowson.
"It had been a long year, and it really topped it off nicely to get involved on what was a very successful tour."
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Man dies following motorway smash on Northamptonshire border
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Huge cigarette haul by masked burglars in armed raids at Northampton stores
- BREAKING NEWS: Police name man killed in crash on motorway in Northamptonshire
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- BREAKING NEWS: Fishmarket art gallery offered new home
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- New manager of Northampton’s Grosvenor Centre says ‘This is the beginning of a new era’
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Neighbours raise concern about bid to build new house three inches from their home
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South east
