Exeter Chiefs 38 Northampton Saints 15: Tom Vickers' review and player ratings

And for Saints, it concluded on the back of yet another spirited performance in a competition in which they have delivered plenty of character and a few doses of quality.

Ultimately though, they just didn't have the razor-sharp edge needed to beat the biggest of boys.

Leinster, twice, and Exeter, once, overcame Chris Boyd's side who were good, but not good enough to get close to winning it this year.

But that won't have come as much surprise as this was Saints' first venture back into the tournament following a year in the Challenge Cup wilderness.

The black, green and gold, as Boyd pointed out after the defeat at Exeter, are still early in their journey under their new boss.

Whereas elite clubs such as Leinster and Exeter are much further along.

And what Saints were shown on Sunday, yet again, was just how those title chasers operate.

Because although the Chiefs were far from at their best, largely because Saints poured so much into the match, they still found a way to win.

Their defence, drilled by Julian Salvi, a former Leicester forward who has given Saints plenty of tough days in the past, was ferocious.

And in the end, the winning margin was wide enough for Exeter to breathe easily towards the end of a real battle.

Saints dominated possession and territory for so long, but, as has been the story of most of their 2020, they found life tough in the opposition 22.

And, to add to that, they also found it difficult in their own 22, too.

In the opening 42 minutes, Exeter had three real attacks. They scored three tries, while Saints registered just one.

Overall, Exeter racked up five tries despite being far from dominant for much of the match.

Saints, who seemed to swarm all over the Chiefs on regular occasions, only registered two scores, through Teimana Harrison and the impressive Fraser Dingwall.

But they were undone by a clinical team who unlocked them when they needed to.

And in the crucial periods of the game, Exeter won out.

When they fell 3-0 down, they quickly came back to go 14-3 ahead, with Saints opening the door for Henry Slade to glide through and set up Jack Maunder for the first try.

Saints, who must be the great teases of English rugby right now as they promise so much but deliver so few wins, pulled back to just four points down at the break.

They should have been ahead, and by plenty with the amount of possession they enjoyed.

But away went Exeter again after the break, coming out of the blocks the quickest in the second period and putting the game beyond the black, green and gold.

Jack Nowell, as Slade had done, waltzed his way through and suddenly the gap was 11 points just two minutes into the second half.

It was to be yet another hugely frustrating encounter in a run that has seen Saints lose 11 of their past 13 matches.

And while they could take much from the heart they showed and how they really pushed Exeter on their own turf, the scoreline will have given them little consolation.

It showed the gap between these clubs once more, and, somehow, the coaches and players must come up with a way to close it.

First though, Saints desperately need to try to finish this season with some sort of flourish.

Though some will say the break between seasons can wash away what has unfolded towards the end of this one, that isn't necessarily true.

Saints could really do with a couple of morale-boosting wins, against Sale and Gloucester, to get that winning feeling back in the dressing room.

Only Worcester and London Irish have been beaten since Saints secured a superb win at Lyon back in January to secure their Champions Cup quarter-final spot.

That fantastic day in France feels so long ago.

Back then, Saints looked capable of going toe to toe with top European teams.

On Sunday, they did for long spell, but they must find a way to rediscover a ruthless streak if they are to do that on a regular basis.

It is a tough ask, but Saints have to build on this European campaign and make sure it's only the start for them in Champions Cup knockout matches under Boyd and Co.

How they rated...

GEORGE FURBANK

Was much improved under the high ball and glided forward on a couple of occasions but couldn't stop Jack Nowell from scoring... 6

MATT PROCTOR

Looked strong in the collisions and also showed a real appetite to attack when he was given the chance in some space... 6

FRASER DINGWALL

Etched his name on the scoresheet and it was just reward for a dynamic display from the talented young centre... 7.5

RORY HUTCHINSON

Showed some glimpses of his obvious class in attack but was given a tough day defensively by the onrushing Chiefs... 5.5

AHSEE TUALA

Couldn't really have an impact on proceedings overall as Exeter stopped Saints in the wide channels, and many other areas... 5.5

DAN BIGGAR

Showed a willingness to mix things up, particularly early on as he went with plenty of kicks from hand, but Exeter stopped him getting a real grip on the game... 6

HENRY TAYLOR

Did everything he could to keep the tempo high in attack and looked like he may score before turning back, but couldn't stop Exeter's flying runners when defending... 5.5

MANNY IYOGUN - CHRON STAR MAN

What a performance from the 19-year-old prop! All the talk was about how he would handle the heat at Sandy Park, but he lasted 72 minutes in a big display... 7.5

MIKE HAYWOOD

Looked lively in open play, showing good awareness to grab the ball on a couple of occasions and didn't do too much wrong... 6

OWEN FRANKS

A decent 50-minute showing from the experienced prop, who will look to build on this in the weeks and months to come... 6

DAVID RIBBANS

Threw everything he had at Exeter during the first half and showed some tidy handling also in a good display... 7

API RATUNIYARAWA

Delivered one lovely first-half offload and competed really well during his 52 minutes on the field... 6.5

COURTNEY LAWES

Was making his 50th Champions Cup appearance and though he couldn't crown it with a win, he did deliver another gargantuan display in club colours... 7.5

LEWIS LUDLAM

Put so much into this match, living up to his pre-match promise to leave everything on the pitch as he powered around the pitch in relentless fashion... 7

TEIMANA HARRISON

Found himself on the wrong side of the referee on a couple of occasions but was full of fire and desire, as ever, and grabbed a score... 7

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

PAUL HILL (for Franks 50)

Wasn't able to repeat his try-scoring heroics from a week earlier, but did help to keep the scrum steady despite Exeter adding to their lead... 5.5

NICK ISIEKWE (for Ratuniyarawa 52)

Saints were staring at a sizeable gap when this man came on and he wasn't really able to have a big impact... 5

ALEX MITCHELL (for Taylor 52)

Saints were chasing the game when the scrum-half entered the fray and he couldn't mastermind a fightback... 5

JAMES FISH (for Haywood 56)

Delivered a couple of lovely passes, one of which put Dingwall through a gap for the centre's score... 5.5