Phil Dowson: 'I think he has been one of our best signings'

Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson felt his side seized control of their Gallagher PREM clash with Sale right from the start as they recorded a thumping 47-21 victory.

Three tries in the opening 17 minutes marked the beginning of what was a dominant performance from Saints at the cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens as they moved up to second in the table.

Just points difference separates them and new leaders Exeter and they will head to champions Bath next Saturday full of confidence after running in seven tries in total.

Dowson said: “There have been some really good bits in the last fortnight, but the team was also aware Pau made changes, the Bulls made changes, so sometimes you’re waiting for a team to tip up and you know will challenge you, and we knew Sale will do that.

“But I thought particularly in the first half we were bang at it and I thought we were very good at times.

“I’m not sure how controlled I was when they were coming back into the game – I was nervous because I know how much quality they have – but I felt we had built a good lead and had the ascendency in lots of different ways.

“Josh Kemeny’s try had me off my seat, I thought it was exceptional and I think the athleticism Josh has is sometimes underestimated.

“He is very fast, he is very athletic and I think he has been one of our best signings.”

Northampton began with tries from Henry Pollock, George Hendy and Toby Thame and after Tom O’Flaherty struck for Sale, Kemeny’s sensational individual score put the hosts 26-7 ahead.

Hendy scored his second before O’Flaherty and Arron Reed pulled back tries for the Sharks, with George Furbank and Tom Pearson then rounding things off for Saints.

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Something we mentioned all week was around coming out the blocks.

“They score early and get their tails up and that’s just what they’ve done all season, but we clearly weren’t at the races.

“To some degree, that was us all game because our basics were off all game.

“By that I mean the set-piece where you’ve just got to guarantee your own possession; line-outs and the scrum, which improved but it still wasn’t dominant, and we expected to be dominant and we were not clinical enough in the opposition 22.

“Strategically, I think the coaches got it wrong at the start of the game – it kind of leaned into Northampton’s attacking style.

“I think the work rate, which the players admitted to, was a little bit off in that first half, which was addressed and got a bit better, but the basics were not enough all game.”