Saints boss Dowson salutes 'set-piece warrior' Coles

Coles produced a man-of-the-match performance in last Friday's 36-19 Gallagher PREM win at Newcastle Red Bulls.

The England lock delivered a superb 80-minute showing, capped with a fine score that made sure of the victory for Saints late on.

And Dowson feels Coles is currently in the form of his life.

"I think the best rugby he’s played has been from the Six Nations break, the run-in at the end of the season – the European final, I thought, was some of his best rugby – and I think he had a good tour to Argentina as well," the Saints boss said.

"He clearly got plenty of game time out there and what Colesy has done really well is he’s pushed himself but he’s pushed people around him, particularly from a lineout point of view.

"He has driven that level – the ownership, the accountability, his work rate off the field from a cerebral point of view is hugely impressive, so I can’t speak highly enough of Colesy and what he’s done off and on the pitch."

Coles ruined the Newcastle lineout at times last Friday as well as impressing in several other aspects of the game.

And Dowson added: "Colesy is, as they would say, a lineout nerd.

"He’s mad for the lineout, he’s a set-piece warrior and he does all those things brilliantly well, but he’s also got a great feel for the game.

"I think he knows where the ball is going to bounce, he finds spaces, he scores from 30 metres out last week against Newcastle.

"He’s got that athleticism as well as the ability to read a game, and I think when you put those two things together, he can play at six or second row and do them both very well."