Northampton Saints reveal Springboks influence behind bid to dominate PREM Rugby
- Longstanding Andrew Porter rumour proves true as Leinster make interesting call - September 24, 2026
- Northampton Saints reveal Springboks influence behind bid to dominate PREM Rugby - September 24, 2026
- Former Springbok boss identifies area Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu must improve after All Blacks series - September 24, 2026
World’s best.
Northampton Saints have studied the Springboks as they look to add a harder edge to their game and defend their PREM Rugby title.
Phil Dowson’s side won their second league title in three seasons in June, but their previous attempt to follow a championship win ended with an eighth-place finish. This time, the director of rugby wants Saints to win the ball back sooner without losing the attacking style that helped take them to the top.
Speaking to Will Kelleher in The Times, Dowson said Northampton’s coaches had examined how South Africa, Toulouse and Bordeaux Bègles defend after the tackle.
“We’re probably defending for too long in phase counts and defending well at times, but we want to get the ball back a little bit quicker,” he said.
“We want to have a bit more of an effort post-tackle. You look at South Africa, Bordeaux play and Toulouse play. Those two men in the tackle are making it tough to win fast ball. That’s something that we can implement.”
For Saints, the lesson from the Springboks is about making the opposition work for possession after contact. Dowson wants more pressure around the tackle and breakdown so his side can return to what it does best with the ball.
Tommy Freeman has also taken something from watching the recent Springboks–All Blacks series. Both teams, he told The Times, committed fully to their own approach even when the contest put it under pressure.
“You saw two teams with a way of playing and backing it 100 per cent,” Freeman said.
That conviction matters to Northampton as they prepare for another title defence. They want to be more physical without building a different game plan for every opponent or giving up the ball movement that has become their strength.
Fin Smith believes Saints made that mistake in another way after their 2024 triumph: looking back at what had worked instead of developing it. With rivals improving too, he said, it is important for Northampton to “add strings to our bow”.
Dowson has set his sights beyond one more good season. No PREM club has won back-to-back titles since Saracens in 2018 and 2019, and Northampton open their defence against Newcastle Red Bulls on Friday with a chance to pursue that mark. The Springboks’ work at the tackle is one part of how they hope to get there.
