Saints set to use Saracens clash as extension of pre-season campaign

The black, green and gold travel to StoneX Stadium looking to get their competitive action off to a flying start ahead of the Gallagher PREM curtain raiser at home to Exeter Chiefs on Sunday, September 28.

Saints have played two pre-season matches in the build-up to the trip to Saracens, beating Bedford Blues 40-28 at Goldington Road before losing 40-31 at Glasgow Warriors last Friday night.

Now Dowson will take his team into cup action, with Saints set to play a total of eight pool stage matches this season.

“I'm looking forward to it – I like the PRC,” Dowson said.

“At this stage of the season, it's a pre-season game and I think if every DOR (director of rugby) is treating it as a pre-season game we should maybe expand the benches and allow people to rotate – if that's what we're talking about from a welfare point of view.

“But in the same breath, it's a good opportunity for us to get going and when we get into the autumn and the Six Nations, we get to see a group of Saints who are desperate to progress their careers, push on and be better.

“There will be some young guys who will go on to represent the club and England, and seeing that journey is always very rewarding.”

Saints purposely organised two away games in pre-season as they are desperate to be better on the road.

They won just one league match away from home last season, and Dowson is hoping for less travel sickness this time around.

"It allowed us to focus on what's important when we are away from home,” he said, reflecting on the Bedford and Glasgow battles. “Whether or not they've helped us will be borne out in the next eight months.

“We've had a focus on it (the away form) and now we need to put that into practice when we get off the bus to play a game this Friday and in a couple of weeks' time in the league against Gloucester.”