OUTGOING Falcons skipper Phil Dowson believes raw emotion could carry Newcastle to victory over Bath on Sunday, but vowed not to let it get the better of his team.
Back-rower Dowson finalised his Northampton Saints move yesterday, but quickly put talk of Franklin’s Gardens to one side. The 27–year-old will link up with former Falcon Lee Dickson at Saints next season, but before that the Falcons entertain Bath at Kingston Park on Sunday (kick-off 3.45pm), then travel to Harlequins for the season’s final showdown.
And while Dowson still sports Falcons colours, he will still give everything for the cause.
“I’m still club captain until the end of the season and there’s still two massive games for us to play,” said Dowson, in the wake of signing his two-year deal. “I want to go out on a high and winning both would mean everything. It has been an absolute pleasure to play for Newcastle over the years and it will definitely be quite an emotionally charged moment at the end of Sunday’s game.
“But we’re all professionals and will act accordingly – we’re used to putting feeling and sentiment aside for the benefit of the team and we’ll do it again. Hopefully myself and some of the other lads who are leaving can sign off on a high and give the fans a final victory for this season.
“We always knew we were better than relegation this season and we have proved that, even if it was gutting to be knocked out of Europe on Sunday. The fans have stuck with us throughout the whole campaign and now we want to give just a little back with a good win over Bath at the weekend. Everyone is fully motivated and fired up for Sunday. It’s going to be an exciting game, I can feel it, and we all desperately want to win.
“There’s certainly a lot resting on it for us, in terms of pride, personal standards and the fact that the club needs to keep moving forward into next season.
“I’ve led the team to the best of my ability since I’ve taken over as captain and I’ve really enjoyed the role. Northampton is a new challenge and a different one for me. It’s exciting to test yourself in different environments and to ask different questions of yourself and that’s what I feel I’m doing with this move.
“But before any of that the vital thing to focus on is Sunday and Bath. It was frustrating to lose to Saracens after the recent run we have had, certainly because a lot of the features of our good run eluded us at Watford.
“We gave them too many penalties, we let them dominate us up front a little and that told on the scoreboard in the end.
“But we also scored two tries, which in a way makes it even more galling that we lose because we equalled their try-count, so we just gave Glen Jackson too many chances. It’s a lesson for the squad as it builds somewhat to next season, and certainly with two games to go there could no better statement for next year than to end with two wins.”
