I've racked my brains and checked my dictionary and books on proverbs and phrases, but I can't find any saying or phrase that matches your description of starting with 'The boys down...'
Are you sure 'the boys down' comes from an English saying? Perhaps it is from a song lyric, or a phrase from a book or film.
If you can find out the context in which it was said, and who said it, that might be of further help. Is it a sentence someone has actually said to you - if so how did that say it?
Of course, phrases don't translate well into other languages, even different forms of English! Here, a Englishman compares some sayings with their American equivalents: