Dowson: Pearson will get another chance
Phil Dowson has backed Tom Pearson to bounce back after winning his first England cap last week and then being left out of the World Cup squad.
The 23-year old flanker, who joined the Saints after London Irish collapsed, saw off the challenge of 2019 finalist Sam Underhill earlier in the summer but lost out to new club colleague Lewis Ludlam and Saracens' Ben Earl after the 20-9 defeat to Wales in Cardiff.
“I have spoken to Tom,” said Dowson, Northampton's director of rugby. “He has stayed in the England camp and continued to train with them. He's very, very close from what I gather, and he's had tons of really good feedback.
“It's been his first experience of being in an international camp and I think he's learned a huge amount. Clearly, he's disappointed and he wants to be ready to go if the opportunity does arise.
“He's very mature, he's a bright lad and he understands the situation. Back row is very, very competitive. You can see that from the players they've left out.
“There are more matches before the World Cup even starts and we know how brutal the game can be. So, all our guys on the fringes like Alex Mitchell, Fraser Dingwall and Fin Smith are set up and preparing accordingly with us, or in camp with England in Tom's case.”
Two Northampton players made the 33, Ludlam and Courtney Lawes, who is set to reach 100 caps in the next few weeks. Sam Matavesi and Temo Mayanavanua were last week named in Fiji's squad.
“It is a huge credit to them,” said Dowson. “It will be Courtney's fourth World Cup and Lewis has really cemented his place, a key part of the squad for Steve Borthwick.
“I was lucky enough to go and watch Lewis train with England a couple of weeks ago, and you can just see by the way he speaks and his leadership in that environment, how comfortable he is in there and how highly regarded he is.”
