'A lot of respect for him' - Dowson salutes Boyd ahead of Saints' clash with Gloucester

Former Saints boss Chris Boyd is now working for the Cherry and Whites after being appointed to the role of technical director.

The experienced Kiwi played a key role in Dowson’s coaching progression at the Gardens.

And when asked what he learned from Boyd, Saints director of rugby Dowson said: “So much. I learned there was a different way.

“I love Jim (Mallinder), I loved playing for Jim and he had a certain way of doing things. Chris taught me there's a different way of doing it, there's a different way of handling people and creating a culture.

“He helped me hugely and from a coaching point of view, I understood what it was to be a coach as opposed to a teacher, a player or a DOR so I loved working with Chris every day.

“I've got a lot of respect for him.”

As for Boyd’s impact at Gloucester, Dowson said: “It's difficult from just a couple of games to see what he's been doing behind the scenes, but what he'll bring is experience, know-how and some calmness and the ability to bounce ideas and questions off.

“He will provide a ton of confidence for that coaching group, who have obviously been doing some good stuff anyway.

“Chris will just give them a little more assurance and confidence around what they're doing and some of their processes.

“He'll give them some clarity and he's got the experience of coming into environments and making a difference.”