“It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport, and we need everybody, and that includes support staff and everybody on side.”
Director of Rugby Phil Dowson thinks that his team’s formidable faith and strong unity will be crucial in picking up that second star in the Champions Cup Final in Cardiff.
Former European Champions Northampton Saints have their sights firmly set on Saturday’s upcoming blockbuster shootout with fast-paced Bordeaux Begles, who are hoping to be crowned European Champions for the first time in the club’s history.
These two clubs have only met once, resulting in a win for Bourdeaux 25 years ago in Franklin’s Gardens in this very same tournament; however, with a host of new players on either side and all to play for, it’s expected to be a game for the ages.
Northampton are the first Premiership club to reach the Champions Cup final since 2020, when, during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Exeter went on to lift the trophy after beating Racing 92.
The Saints have suffered Champions Cup Final heartbreak themselves back in 2011 when after leading 22-6 at halftime a ruthless Leinster led by a fired up Johnny Sexton came back to win the game 33-22 with Sexton himself scoring 22 points with two tries, three conversions and two penalties to ensure victory for the Dubliners.
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Bordeaux
Bourdeaux threaten lethal pace, accuracy and an overall impressive skillset that currently see them sat second on the Top 14 table behind previous Championship winners Toulouse, of whom the Begles dispatched in the semi-final to secure passage to Cardiff.
Should Bordeaux lift the trophy on Saturday, they will be the fifth French team in a row to win the tournament, along with both Toulouse and La Rochelle, who have both lifted the trophy twice in the last five years.
Despite an ongoing injury crisis in Northampton, the Saints’ impressive comeback and win against Saracens showed how well the team are coached and how they are a team never to be underestimated, as Leinster found out to their peril in the semi-finals.
Debutant British & Irish Lion Henry Pollock is consistently showing his worth for Northampton and England rugby, recently showcasing his talents and ability to react under pressure and has certainly earned his place for the upcoming Lions tour to Australia next month.
Phil Dowson
Dowson remains fully focused on his team and firmly believes that the Saints’ strong passion and close-knit attitude will be enough to get the job done on Saturday.
“Whatever the perceptions from outside are, irrelevant, the perception from the inside is that we’ve got a really close group, a connected group, and we’ve got some very talented players in there.
“We work at that with how we talk about each other and how we value each other’s efforts and how we keep pushing to try and get better across the board, whether it’s guys on loan at Bedford and Hinckley and Leicester Lions or guys playing in a semi-final or final in Europe.
“It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport, and we need everybody, and that includes support staff and everybody on side.”
By Chris Collyer
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