Phil Dowson believes George Hendy is a wing unlike any other – because he has his legs on back to front.
The 21-year old Hendy came off the bench last weekend to seal victory for Northampton in the Champions Cup last 16 match against Munster at Franklin's Gardens with two tries that showcased his pace, power and persistence.
“George is distinctive,” said Dowson, below, Northampton's director of rugby. “He has a weird, rangy style and I cannot think of another player who is like him. As Mark Hopley (the club's academy head) said, it is like he has his legs on back to front. You are not surprised to see him come through a melee of bodies. He has things to learn but he has his head screwed on and is thoroughly professional in his attitude.”
Hendy, who joined Northampton's senior academy from Worcester in 2021, announced himself a couple of years ago when he scored a try against Saracens in the Premiership Cup after picking up the ball near his own line and weaving through tackles before putting in a sprint finish.
“I remember when I first spoke to him a couple of years ago,” recalled Dowson. “He was in his first year at the academy and was doing a stretching routine and talking about his preparation and the work he did in the evenings.
“I was immediately struck by how professional and conscientious he was, very forward thinking. The way he came out of our academy showed both how important it is to the club and how well they do it.
“He spent a lot of last season at Bedford and did well. The joy of that relationship is based on people like George learning his trade and playing every week and gaining in confidence.
“When I spoke to him at the start of this season after he had put in a couple of big performances, he had moved out of the academy house and in with Angus Scott-Young.
“He said how much of an impact that had had on him in training and with his diet and that was reflected in how he played. He then got injured but has come back hungry and powerful, working hard off the field to give himself opportunities.”
Dowson has a selection issue when all his back three players are fit. Hendy and James Ramm are comfortable playing on the wing or at full-backs, George Furbank is a 15 who can play at outside-half and Tommy Freeman has been used out wide and in the centre, like Tom Seabrook when he was at Gloucester, while Ollie Sleightholme is a specialist wing.
“Competition across the board is what we want,” said Dowson. “Every week we have some very good players who are not playing and the choice we have allows us the luxury of giving someone a go.
“The back three are a tight group and have competitions on game day minus two, such as whoever drops the most high balls has to bring the coffees in. It is good to generate those little teams within teams because you want everyone to be competing all the time.”
The Premiership resumes this weekend with Northampton sitting at the top of the table with four rounds to go, five points ahead of Bath which is effectively six because the Saints have won two games more.
“Our performances in Europe have shown where we have got to from a technical point of view, in our defence and in our maturity,” said Dowson. “We won at Glasgow, who had a good home record, Munster and beat Toulon at home. It spoke a lot about the group and how much they have pushed on in the last couple of years. You learn a lot playing in the Champions Cup and the different ways teams play.
“The French clubs are particularly good on the gainline and taking advantage of momentum when they get it. They have some monsters at forward and behind to get them going and what we have seen is just how important the gainline battle is.”
Northampton resume their league campaign on Saturday against rivals Leicester at Franklin's Gardens. Dowson hopes flanker Tom Pearson will be fit for selection along with centres Burger Odendaal and Rory Hutchinson.
