Saints must be 'desperate to get better' - Dowson

Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson insists they must be "as desperate as ever to get better" following last season's Premiership title win.

Saints will travel to Bath on 20 September to begin the new campaign - a re-match of last month's Twickenham final, which they won 25-21.

The champions have had to rebuild, especially their pack, following the departures of Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, Sam Matavesi, Alex Moon and brothers Alex and Ethan Waller, and have now signed former Sale hooker Nathan Langdon.

"Five weeks is enough time in which to digest it all, to get over it, understand it, enjoy it and then to really work out what we want to do next," Dowson told BBC Radio Northampton.

Several Saints players have been away on international duty, at both senior and junior level, but most of the squad are now back in training to prepare for their first pre-season game against Leinster on 7 September.

"Pre-season's not about getting fit, it's about getting better," said Dowson.

"We give the lads three weeks when they can do what they want, eat what they want - you hope they get away from Northampton, get away from rugby, have a good time.

"Then they get a two-week programme when they get back to get some movement, some weights into them so they come ready to train.

"This pre-season is a lot shorter than last, we had a very long pre-season with the World Cup last year.

"We've got to make the absolute most of our time in terms of those things we want to improve in our game, and make sure all those new players are integrated, understand the Saints DNA and what we're trying to do."

Langdon joins elder brother Curtis - also a hooker - at the club, but will also have to compete for game time with Craig Wright and Robbie Smith.

A Loughborough University graduate, he made his first-team debut for Sale in the third round of last season's Premiership matches.

"Saints are a big team, with a big history, but what drew me in was that players come here and seem to get better. You only have to look at Curtis’ game and the way it developed last season to see that," Langdon said.

The other Saints new faces include Australia back rower Josh Kemeny and former Saracens pair lock Callum Hunter-Hill and prop Tom West.

Dowson is about to embark on his third season in charge of the club he played for as a flanker, having agreed a contract extension in February.

"This season we start again like everyone else with zero points," he said.

"People will be chasing us down and we've got to make sure that we're pushing ourselves and are as desperate as ever to get better.

"We know there's a target (on our backs), but we also know we have confidence in the elements the different coaches are coaching and how we go about our business."