Exeter Chiefs 28 Northampton Saints 35: Tom Vickers' review and player ratings

But on Saturday afternoon, their experience at the stadium could only be described as soul-cleansing.

Phil Dowson's men had taken the long trip to the west country in search of solace and some stitches to patch up their Bath cuts.

And, after some salt was rubbed in those wounds in the opening seven minutes at Sandy Park, Saints showed their character and class to stop the bleeding.

They rallied, regrouped and refused to suffer a similar fate to the one they had experienced at The Rec eight days earlier, when a late Ted Hill try and Finn Russell conversion snatched an Investec Champions Cup semi-final spot from their grasp.

This time, it was Saints tasting delight at the denouement, dishing out the despair for an Exeter side who had been celebrating levelling the scores just a couple of minutes earlier.

That cruel concession of a try to Paul Brown-Bampoe, who charged down Ollie Sleightholme's attempted clearance and made the most of a kind bounce, could have punctured Saints.

As could the two tries they shipped so early on in this match.

But, as they had all day, they kept believing and kept coming forward, stubbornly insisting that missed chances would not cost them dear on this occasion.

That is a belief they have built up home and away this season, showing a penchant for pinching tight matches, something you need if you’re going to win the majority of your league matches, as they have.

That didn't happen in the cup tie at Bath, and it didn't quite happen on the opening day of the Gallagher PREM season, when they coughed up a 33-7 half-time lead to draw 33-33 against Exeter, but it happened here, as it had against Saracens and Newcastle during the previous month.

Saints know not everything will go their way, in games and in the season, but they have full faith that if they keep trying to do the right things, the avalanche of opportunities they create will eventually build to a victorious crescendo.

And that was what happened here.

Because they were far from at their best in several aspects of the game, struggling mightily under the high ball and losing several lineouts at key times during the first half while knocking on time after time.

But such was the volume of possession they enjoyed, they were still able to score five tries against a team who have made a habit of defensive defiance this season.

Exeter had only conceded eight second-half tries across their 12 PREM second halves coming into this match, but Saints found a way to stretch them and stress them, scoring three times after the break.

They forced two home wings into the sin bin and eventually made the most of that second-half space, engineering a stunning late try, finished expertly by England star Fin Smith.

Smith had a huge impact at the end of both halves as Saints showed that it's not how you start that matters, it's how you finish.

Exeter had come flying out of the blocks after both kick-offs, bossing the formative stages of both 40-minute periods.

But Saints refused to be fazed by going behind, instead showing their powers of recovery.

That was very much a theme for them in this match as that ability to shrug off setbacks was clear in this performance, which came hot on the heels of that huge blow at Bath.

Saints wasted little time in getting over their European hangover, knowing that the PREM title is still up for grabs and being well aware of what a win at Sandy Park would do for their hopes of booking a home semi-final.

There are still five long games to go as the black, green and gold bid to stay at the summit.

And they won't get any easier, with the next three matches coming against the sides currently sitting second, third and fifth in the league standings.

Every game has play-off implications but if Saints can show the heart and the composure in key moments they displayed at Sandy Park on Saturday, they can position themselves well for that end-of-season shootout.

How they rated…

GEORGE FURBANK - grabbed a try at a key time for his team and his one-on-one defending was crucial at times during the second half as he showed real bravery to stop big men in their tracks... 8

GEORGE HENDY - didn't have it all his own way under the high ball, but on the ground his running caused Exeter problems, especially when he did superbly to create space that opened the door for Mitchell's try in the first half... 7.5

TOM LITCHFIELD - what a showing from the bulldozing centre as he refused to take a backward step in attack and defence, positioning himself as one of the top contenders for the star man award... 9

FRASER DINGWALL - another day, another centre masterclass from this man who popped up in some many key moments yet again, including right at the end when he timed his pass perfectly for the onrushing Smith to score... 9

OLLIE SLEIGHTHOLME - etched his name on the scoresheet with a key try at the end of the first half, and also won a big breakdown penalty. Saw his clearance kick charged down and was given a difficult day in the air by Exeter, as most of the Saints backs were... 7

FIN SMITH - CHRON STAR MAN - a huge showing from the England fly-half as he set up two tries with expert execution and then finished the game with a fantastic flourish as he provided the match-winning try with an excellent effort... 9

ALEX MITCHELL - made his first Saints start since January and how good it was to see him buzzing around the field in trademark fashion, marking his long-awaited appearance in the No.9 shirt with a first-half try... 7.5

MANNY IYOGUN - helped Saints to get on top at scrum time during the first half as they won three penalties in that area... 7.5

CRAIG WRIGHT - endured a difficult first half as a couple of fizzed passes bounced off him and some lineouts went astray, which couldn't all be blamed on him, but regrouped at half-time and put in a big defensive shift during the early part of the second period... 7

CLEOPAS KUNDIONA - is making himself at home in the Saints front row and he seemed to relish the challenge of taking on a strong Exeter pack... 7

ED PROWSE - continues to get better and better for Saints and he won a big breakdown penalty as well as making some big tackles and carries in a sizeable second-row showing... 8

TOM LOCKETT - got through a huge amount of work and his physicality was really noticeable, in attack and defence, as he backed up his big showing at Bath with another one here...8.5

JOSH KEMENY - seemed to be everywhere at times, popping up with intercepts, flying forward and only being brought to ground when he couldn't quite find the support he needed on his outside... 8.5

SAM GRAHAM - great to see this guy back and he looked hungry for action, making some hard yards for his team as he displayed his appetite to finish on a high with Saints... 7.5

CALLUM CHICK - delivered an eye-catching 50:22 for his team on a day when he showed his importance to the team, using his physicality and experience to full effect... 8.5

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

TOMMY FREEMAN (for Hendy 51) - helped to create space for his side with some clever running and well-timed passing as his international class showed at times... 7

ELLIOT MILLAR MILLS (for Kundiona 55) - produced one eye-catching pass in what was a largely steady showing from the replacement prop... 7

ARCHIE MCPARLAND (for Mitchell 55) - helped to keep the tempo high and just did his job, not trying anything too adventurous, which showed his increased maturity showed here... 7