Five players who FLOPPED in the Gallagher PREM final

While the final had been billed as an entertaining showdown, it ultimately proved to be a far tighter and more cautious contest than many had expected.

The occasion appeared to affect both teams. Saints never quite reached the attacking heights that have defined much of their campaign, while Exeter's usually reliable set-piece struggled to function under the pressure of the occasion.

With that in mind, here are five players whose performances fell short of expectations in the PREM Rugby final.

Thrown into the action after just 11 minutes following Archie McParland's injury, Mitchell was making his own return from a spell on the sidelines but looked short of sharpness throughout.

His toughest moment came when he spilled a gilt-edged scoring chance just as he was preparing to ground the ball for what seemed a certain try.

Beyond that costly error, Mitchell struggled to impose himself on the game. His tactical kicking lacked precision and he made little impact across nearly 70 minutes on the field.

Comparisons with McParland were unavoidable, particularly as the young scrum-half made a greater impression in his brief cameo than Mitchell managed over the rest of the contest.

McParland's early intervention helped spark the attack that led to Tommy Freeman's try, further strengthening his case in the Saints pecking order and potentially England's as well.

Woodburn endured a nightmare start when a mix-up with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso while dealing with a kick through gifted Tommy Freeman an easy score under virtually no pressure.

To his credit, the Exeter winger responded with a handful of strong carries from deep and showed glimpses of the form that has served him so well this season.

However, he never truly recovered from that early mistake and was unable to produce the kind of decisive contributions that have become a feature of his campaign.

After his match-saving intervention in the semi-final, this was a disappointing outing, though it does little to diminish what has been an impressive season overall.

Feyi-Waboso was also involved in the defensive lapse that allowed Freeman to score within two minutes, with Exeter caught cold straight from the outset.

Outside of that error, there were reminders of why he is regarded as one of the game's most dangerous attacking threats. He beat defenders regularly, completed 11 tackles and claimed a turnover.

However, his influence was undermined by a lack of ball security, finishing the match with five turnovers conceded, more than any other player on the pitch.

Given the high standards he has established and the expectation that he will feature prominently for England this summer, it was a performance that fell below his usual level.

After producing several standout displays in recent weeks, Zambonin was unable to have the same influence in the final. He worked diligently in the tight exchanges, contributed defensively and managed to win a turnover, but rarely imposed himself on proceedings.

The lock got through plenty of the unseen work that coaches appreciate, yet in a match of this magnitude more was needed from a player who has shown he is capable of turning games in his side's favour.

It was a solid enough shift, but not the impactful performance Exeter required.

In his final appearance for Saints before joining Newcastle Red Bulls, Millar Mills struggled to leave a lasting mark.

While there were no major errors beyond a scrum penalty conceded on his side, he was largely anonymous for long periods.

The prop never found a way to influence the contest and his contribution fell short of expectations in such a significant occasion. He can still depart with a winner's medal, but individually it was not the farewell performance he would have wanted.

From legendary skippers who lifted multiple trophies to surprise champions who made history, see if you can recall them all. Get ready to scrum down and show off your Premiership pedigree!