After losing out to joint top-of-the-table Exeter Chiefs on the road yesterday, Saints come into next weekend's final day fixture with Harlequins needing the win to secure European Champions Cup rugby next season.
Jamie Gibson said that while they were frustrated with the result yesterday the side felt the effort they showed was up there but coming up against a side as strong as Exeter proved too tough of a challenge.
"We've played some big games against some big oppositions recently," Gibson commented after the game.
"We felt that we would be able to come down here and disrupt their game and in the first half we scored the interception and pushed them as much as we could.
"There were a couple of mistakes that we made which gave them a couple of early scores but apart from that we fronted up.
"But in that second half, when you've got a good side running against tired bodies, they're to cause you trouble.
"We're frustrated but we're going to come back next week and be better."
Instantly looking ahead to next weekend's all important clash, Gibson said that the game has become something of a Cup Final for Saints and that they hope to get a big crowd behind them at the Gardens while they fight it out for the chance to play in the top-flight of European rugby.
"We'll get through the weekend, we'll come in Monday and get the bodies back into a good way, get freshened up and then we're into a tough game.
"It's a Cup Final for us. Both us and Quins will go into that game knowing that all that matters is the win.
"These sorts of games don't come round very often, we know that whatever we do in that game that's the last thing we're going to do this season.
"We'll turn up as a group, we'll look at what happened today and we'll come back next week with a plan.
"And if we put in as much effort as we did today, at home in front of a good crowd, then it should be a good send off."
Saints need your support next Saturday (4pm) as they battle it out with Harlequins for the chance to secure European Champions Cup rugby for next season. Make your voice count for one last time this season by clicking HERE.
