For Saints forward Sam Graham, however, the matches will always have a special intensity as he came through the Bath academy.
“These games are beginning to feel like Test match classics,” he said.
“It adds an extra element for me, a bit of extra spice, because I’m from there. If I’m unpopular at the weekend after playing Bath, I’ll have done my job pretty well.
“Lots of friends, lots of family tend to be at the Bath games – most of them are season-ticket holders at Bath – and I relish that. You know theye’re a physical team and they’re the games I like to thrive in.”
Saturday’s match will be the third meeting of the teams this season, with Saints coming from behind to win 41-21 at The Rec in December.
Both are likely to figure in the end of season play-offs, but despite that, Dowson does not believe if gives the game any added significance.
“It’s a really important game because it’s the next one, it’s against Bath who’ve been playing really well and likely to be in the top four, does that have any impact on the game? I’m not sure it does,” he said.
According to Dowson, the Champions Cup game showed that although Saints are a potent attacking force, there is room for improvement.
“We were frustrated by that game, we know we’re better at those aspects and have had a renewed focus (on them).
“The improvements we made throughout the week (afterwards) and the way we thought about it and spoke about it, shows how coachable this group is, and how emotionally invested they are in what we’re trying to do,” he added.
“That was the most pleasing thing about last week [league win over Exeter] and we’ve got to continue in that vain, we can’t just say ‘that’s the box ticked’, we have to invest our energy in what gave us that opportunity.”
Phil Dowson and Sam Graham were speaking to BBC Radio Northampton sports editor Graham McKechnie
