Dowson believes new signing Faissal can bring an x-factor to Saints
Phil Dowson believes Malik Faissal will bring an x-factor to Saints after it was announced the Italy Under-20s wing will be moving to Northampton this summer.
The 20-year-old will join from United Rugby Championship side Zebre, where he has made seven appearances and scored two tries to date in his first season in senior rugby.
After making his first two Zebre appearances in the Challenge Cup, Faissal, who is known for his pace and flair in attack, made his URC debut just before Christmas, coming off the bench against fellow Italian side Benetton.
He marked his debut league start with a flourish the following weekend, claiming a first league score against the same opposition, and has since added three more URC appearances to his tally, starting against Edinburgh and Dragons last month, before facing Vodacom Bulls last weekend.
Faissal, who began playing rugby in Parma at the age of just six, has also featured heavily for Italy’s Under-20s side during his time at Zebre, starting alongside soon-to-be Saints team-mate Todaro throughout the 2025 Under-20 Six Nations.
The winger took his tally of Under-20 appearances to 10 in a second Six Nations championship this term, with his three tries at that level all coming against England.
And Dowson said: “Malik first came to our attention when he was playing for Italy Under-20s.
“From a capability point of view, Malik looks like a very well-rounded player, with some x-factor to his athleticism too.
“He’s got speed and the ability to win the ball in the air, which in today’s game is a vital skill.
“We’ve been impressed with his intent too, how hard he works to get into the right places on the field.
"(Saints head coach) Sam (Vesty) loved his breakdown elements and how he hits in defence as well.
“In our first chat, it was obvious that he’s a very intelligent and bright player and someone who’s ambitious – Malik asked some good questions of us.
"We spoke about what his ambitions were, what he wants to get out of his career and what his thoughts were about coming to England.
“Malik’s really academically driven outside of his rugby too, he has ambitions of becoming a vet, and his English is very good.
"He’s an impressive young man and we’re looking forward to getting him into our set-up.”