'No love lost' Anglo-Welsh derbies still fire Phil Dowson's imagination

Northampton Saints boss Phil Dowson believes Cardiff would like nothing more this weekend than to travel to the home of the English Champions and claim a shock Champions Cup victory.

Saints have launched the defence of their Gallagher PREM title with two wins and a defeat, an identical record to Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship, but have scored 90 points more: 156 against the Welsh side’s 66.

Sunday’s clash will be the first between the teams in 16 years, since 2010/11, the season in which Saints made it through to the final.

Saints did the double over Cardiff back then, securing a 23-15 win at DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens and a 23-19 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium a week later.

“Cardiff are a club with a huge heritage. I remember that game 16 years ago; it was a very nasty and bad-tempered affair. I think on the back-to-back one, we’d been at home the week before. There was no love lost, and it was a good game. I remember those games fondly,” said Dowson.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Northampton

09:30

18 Oct 26

Cardiff Rugby

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“Any time an English and Welsh side square up, I think the players are well aware of the history and the heritage. The Welsh should love nothing more than to come and knock us off. I’m not being blasé about that.

“I don’t think that’s been lost, but that’s my personal opinion, and I think that English-Welsh rivalry is still very real. We’d love to win it (Champions Cup), but I’m also not stupid and know how difficult that is.

“It’s difficult because of the quality of players and teams in it. We can talk about budgets and that, but fundamentally, we’ve got a lot of international – French, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Italian players – all in one pot.

“I feel like we have proved ourselves in it by getting to knockout games frequently and winning away from home in tough places.”