'We want to challenge ourselves', says Saints boss Dowson ahead of Tigers clash

The Gallagher PREM champions go to Mattioli Woods Welford Road to take on local rivals Leicester Tigers on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 3.05pm).

It was the scene of one of their worst defeats last season, with Dowson's men suffering a 41-17 loss at Leicester back in May.

But they bounced back in style, eventually beating Tigers 45-31 in the PREM play-off semi-final at the Gardens on the way to winning the league title.

And Dowson is now looking forward to seeing how his side measure up on their return to Leicester this weekend.

"It's exciting," the Saints boss said. "It's a short week so we haven't got much time to beat around the bush and we've got to get stuck into our preparation to make sure we give ourselves the best chance to perform."

When asked whether he expects this to be one of the most difficult matches of Saints' season, as it typically is, Dowson said: "I think so, and that's what makes it so fun, because we have a chequered history there and because it is so hard.

"We want to challenge ourselves and do hard things because they're generally the most rewarding."

Dowson has plenty of experience of being a Saint at Mattioli Woods Welford Road as he took to the field there several times during his playing career.

And he said: "I loved it. I loved it because I knew it was going to be a challenge, because at the time Leicester were one of the best sides in Europe and you knew that if you weren't on your game, you were going to find out.

"It's a great place to play, a great stadium when it's full and going at you.

"It's great to play here (at the Gardens) and be supported to the rafters but it's also nice to go to Tigers and for them to get stuck into you as well."

So what have Saints learned from that sobering defeat at Leicester late last season?

"It's fairly obvious in terms of the gain-line battle, in terms of the set-piece battle, the breakdown and how hard they came at us in those areas and the intent they had," Dowson said. "We didn't cope with that away from home.

"I felt we learned those lessons (for the semi-final) and obviously it's easier at home so we'll see the proof in the pudding when we go back there this weekend."

Leicester may have lost 41-17 at Section Paloise last Sunday, but they have won two of their opening three matches in this season’s PREM.

And when asked whether he thinks Tigers have changed much since last season, Dowson said: “Not drastically.

"They've got some new coaches from a defence and attack point of view.

“(Tigers boss) Geoff Parling is still evolving that into his team and they've obviously got some new players come into that group as well.

“The traditional values of a Leicester Tigers side with huge power up front (are still there), but there's a lot more appetite to play the game and to move the ball and they've got the players to take advantage of that.

“The wingers are outstanding, Freddie Steward is an international, Billy Searle and JVP (Jack van Poortvliet) are outstanding half-backs. We also appreciate what they've got in the centre with Wand, Woodward and Kata as well so the backline doesn't get as many plaudits as maybe it should do, and they're playing the game in a slightly different way.”

So how does Dowson want his players to approach this match? Does he want full-on emotion or calm heads?

"It depends on the player,” he said. “Different players have different ways of preparing.

“I don't want someone who is normally cool, calm and collected and performs at their best when they're cool, calm and collected to then be emotional and over the top so it comes down to personal preparation and understand what the energy needs to feel like in the group and making sure we're getting that balance right.”