'They'll be looking to upset us' - Dowson previews Saints' clash with Newcastle
Phil Dowson has warned Saints that Newcastle Red Bulls will be ready to upset the odds at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
It will be a return to Gallagher PREM action for the two teams, having not played in the league since January.
Saints currently sit top of the standings, 38 points ahead of bottom side Newcastle, who have won only one of their 10 league matches so far this season.
But Saints boss Dowson knows there is no room for complacency against a Red Bulls side now led by Stephen Jones, who has taken over the head coach role for the remainder of the season following the departure of Alan Dickens earlier this week.
"With the (Red Bull) takeover that's happened, Newcastle have huge ambitions and huge aspirations and that's obviously going to take some time," Dowson said.
"They've already recruited really well and it's only a matter of time before all that sticks.
"I think Stephen Jones is a great appointment for them and you've already seen the fruits of his labour in terms of how they play and how dangerous they are from an attacking point of view.
"They've always had a very, very competitive pack and I know (Newcastle forwards coach) Micky Ward well from playing with him.
"They'll be a handful and we're going to have to be right on our mettle to get it right.
"We've had some good games against them but this will be a different group to the one we faced in the PRC and they’ll be looking to upset us.
"We've got to make sure we get into our game, get moving and perform in the right manner."
Saints' most recent PREM match was at Sale on January 24, when the black, green and gold claimed a superb 43-29 success.
“The game at Sale does feel like a long time ago, and we've been busy in that period of time with lots of internationals away, trying to get that next group going,” Dowson said.
“We've seen lots of players step up. We've had lots of Academy lads, players on loan who have been really good characters and we've had a lot of fun.
“What we try to do over the pre-season blocks, autumn block and Six Nations block is to make sure we're continually working on that depth.
“We pride ourselves on our coaching group and how we coach and develop players, and the PRC (PREM Rugby Cup) is a huge part of that.
“We really love the PRC, we use that to develop our players, to see that next generation who want to step into that Saints space and we've seen lots of players put their hand up.
“We've made lots of good memories and there's been a lot of good opportunities to coach that group, but we're excited about getting back into the PREM and getting stuck into the run-in, which obviously starts with Newcastle.”