Dowson says fly-half Myler is a Saints ‘legend’

ALL SMILES - Phil Dowson (right) celebrates Saints' Aviva Premiership Final win with Calum Clark, Tom Wood and Sam Dickinson (Picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

Myler was named the man of the match in Saints’ dramatic 24-20 Aviva Premiership Final win over Saracens at Twickenham, after an assured and copntrolling performance, that also saw him score nine points with the boot.

That recognition came just eight days after Myler also landed the top player gong in the Amlin Challenge Cup Final win over Bath, and Dowson says the Saints number 10 is deserving of the praise coming his way.

“Stephen has always been a leader in our squad, and sometimes I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves,” said Dowson.

“He has more assists than anybody else this season in the Premiership, he is a legend.

“He has kept us in games this season, matches such as Wasps away, and against Leicester, and than in the Amlin Final he kicked well. He is a good lad to have around.”

Dowson was speaking following Saints’ dramatic win over Sarries, with Alex Waller dotting the ball down on the line with time up on the clock.

The try was the culmination of a brilliant spell of Saints’ attacking pressure, but Dowson admitted he wasn’t 100 per cent certain Waller had scored until the try was confirmed by the Television Match Official.

“As soon as we get over the line, you are just powerless. You are just waiting for one referee’s decision,” said Dowson.

“Alex Waller was pretty convinced straight away that it was a try, so that was good enough for me!”

The try and Myler’s subsequent conversion secured the 24-20 victory, but Saints could have eased the tension a little as a drop goal would have won the game on tries scored with the match tied at 20-20.

But they kept going for the try, which they got, and Dowson says that was all the team were focusing on at the time.

“A drop goal would have been enough, and we knew that, but we were getting on the charge, and we were getting over the line, so we did that and it worked out nicely,” said the former England man.

“If we had lost the game, then that might have been a sticking point and we would have had to have looked at that, but we didn’t lose, and it’s gone.”