‘Fraser’s good’: Phil Dowson eases fears over Dingwall head injury

Northampton boss Phil Dowson eased concerns over Fraser Dingwall after the England centre was knocked out in Saturday’s 66-21 Gallagher Prem demolition of Harlequins at Franklin’s Gardens.

Dingwall was carried from the pitch on a stretcher after his head was caught on the wrong side during a tackle on Kieran Treadwell in the 39th minute, but he was able to give a thumbs-up as he left the field.

“Fraser’s good,” Dowson said. “Obviously he’s a bit shaken up and he was unconscious for a bit, but the medics were around him fast and are looking after him so he’s going through the right procedure.

“We don’t have any timelines. We’ll make sure he’s OK and look after him tonight and make sure he’s got people around him.”

Northampton returned to the top of the Prem with an electrifying 10-try rout of Quins, Alex Coles leading the charge by running in a hat-trick of tries.

They have amassed 154 points in their last three league outings with their high-speed attacking game currently making them the team to beat.

“We knew what Quins would bring to the table because they’re under pressure after the last couple of results,” Dowson said. “They came out with all guns blazing in the first half.

“We were a bit disappointed with some of our movement and collisions in defence, but in attack we were at it. There were some bits that we needed to tidy up at half-time.”

Harlequins have now lost four successive Prem matches, with their collapse at Franklin’s Gardens the second highest number of points they have ever conceded in the competition.

Senior coach Jason Gilmore declared after last Friday’s hammering at Sale that the league is “gone” for his team and after Northampton had run riot, he admitted he understood the frustration of supporters.

“I can definitely sympathise,” Gilmore said. “We’re fighting it seven days a week. If you keep copping those defeats, it’s not going to be sustainable. That’s pretty obvious.

“It’s not just going to turn around overnight and we’ve got to be a clear as a club over what we need to do to make sure we’re winning big games more consistently.

“We are where we are at the moment, we understand that. There’s no magic formula to it, we’ve just got to make sure we keep stepping forward and hopefully get some bodies back on the field because the injuries are magnifying things.

“You’re definitely going to lose confidence, there’s no hiding from that. We’re clear on what we want to go after.”