Phil Dowson, the flanker for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the Northampton Saints is hopeful of agreeing a new contract with the side before the summer.
The 33 year old, who moved to Franklins’ Gardens in the summer of 2009 from the Newcastle Falcons, is the last remaining player on the club’s high profile roster to have his contract not sorted out yet. With his current contract running out at the end of the season, Dowson remains hopeful that he is still in the thinking of the coaching staff and will be offered a new contract to extend his stay at the club.
He mentioned that he would definitely want to stay at the club, one of the biggest in the country. He went on to add that the club has a brilliant squad and the culture that has been put in place by the likes of Dylan Hartley and the other senior players is not only effective but also very enjoyable.
Dowson said that it is a kind of culture that he hasn’t come across. He has played in all but two matches for the Northampton Saints this season and remains a key figure under Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder.
According to Dowson, he still enjoys playing at the top level, going out on the field and being competitive every week is something that still gets his pulse racing and he wants to keep doing that.
But he acknowledges that the strength in depth at the squad right now will make it very difficult for anyone to nail down a permanent place in the side without performing at an optimum level and Phil Dowson believes that can only mean a good thing for the Northampton Saints as they look for more glory in the years to come.