Leavers ceremony an 'emotional driver' for Saints against Gloucester

It will be the final regular-season game at home for Saints as they take to the field in front of another sell-out crowd at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.

And after the match, supporters will get the chance to thank the men who will be exiting the club this summer.

Some key contributors will be on that list, with the likes of Elliot Millar Mills, Sam Graham, Tom James, James Ramm and George Furbank set to depart.

As is tradition, those players will be presented with shirts and given the chance to take the applause of the Saints supporters.

And Dowson feels his men will be motivated to make sure the leavers ceremony is a happy one, by beating Gloucester.

"It's definitely an emotional driver and we've got to make we do it the right way," Dowson said.

"We want to pay homage to those guys who have given so much to this group."

Gloucester may be sitting ninth in the PREM standings, but they have enjoyed an upturn in form since the end of the Guinness Six Nations.

The Cherry and Whites have won three of their past six league matches, having previously won just one of their first 10.

And Dowson said: "They're a very talented squad and they've got a lot of guys back from injury.

"They had a really bad run with injuries at the start of the year but they've come back and they're a very good group growing together.

"They had a good result against Sale at home, they actually played very well against Saracens (when they lost 30-14 last time out) and gave themselves some opportunities so they're playing a lot more rugby, they've got a very dangerous backline.

"The stats show what they're capable of with regards to how well they carry, how many metres they make post-collision, their ability to look after the ball in attack so they're a handful.

"There'll be no pressure on them whatsoever so they'll come and play.

"It makes them incredibly dangerous so we've got to make sure we respect the process with regards to preparation."