A year to the day from their famous win over Saracens in the Challenge Cup, Edinburgh just failed to pull off the same feat in the Champions Cup. They were never behind in the first half, and regained the lead once in the second, but in the end returned home with only a losing bonus point to show for their efforts in the Pool A clash.

A superb kicking display by Emiliano Boffelli – who converted both his team’s tries and added four penalties – was a major reason why the visitors stayed in contention for so long.

But they contributed a lot in open play too, and although their line-out malfunctioned at times and their scrum was under pressure for much of a bitterly cold afternoon in north London, they kept up the fight right to the death.

“I’m really, really proud of the performance today,” Edinburgh head coach Mike Blair said. “So much of what we did was good. It’s easy to look at a couple of things that didn’t go right – we did hand the momentum to Saracens, I think, in that second half – but I want to focus on what we did well.

“Despite the issues we had with a couple of line-outs, despite two yellow cards, we were right in that game against a team that will go well in this tournament and who are nine from nine in their domestic league.

“I’m really, really proud of lots of stuff, but there’s also that little itch in me. We could have done a little bit more, probably more from a smarts point of view than an effort one.”

After withstanding some early pressure, Edinburgh opened the scoring after seven minutes when Luan de Bruin crossed from close range.

Saracens began to put their game together after that, and got off the mark when Owen Farrell’s kick found Elliot Daly on the right wing, and the full-back shrugged off Duhan van der Merwe to score on the corner.

Farrell equalised with the conversion, but five minutes later was off target with a long-range penalty attempt.

Boffelli then showed the stand-off how it was done, scoring from just inside the Saracens half, and soon added another penalty from a couple of metres further in to put Edinburgh six points in front.

Saracens hit back just before the break, scoring all too simply through a line-out drive, finished off by Ben Earl. Farrell’s conversion attempt hit a post, before Boffelli had the last word in the half with a third penalty that gave his side a four-point lead.

The home team came out fighting, and took the lead after 45 minutes in all-too-simple fashion when a clever kick through by Daly was gathered for an unconverted try by Alex Lewington.

But the visitors fought back, and Boffelli put them back in front with a fourth successful penalty.

Then Farrell rediscovered his kicking boots, putting his team back in the lead with another long-range penalty, and soon afterwards adding another three points to put his team four up.

Then an interception by Damian Hoyland just inside his own half seemed sure to end in a score in the right corner. But the defence got back to stop him just short of the line, and when play switched to the left, they held up James Lang too.

Minutes later a Stuart McInally throw was snaffled by the home pack, and after the initial drive was held up, Tom Wolstencroft finished off. Farrell converted, and McInally was yellow carded into the bargain for a team offence.

Edinburgh were still not finished. Blair Kinghorn raced through a gap in midfield to put Wes Goosen through for a try, Boffelli converted, and the gap was down to four points.

Then WP Nel was sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle on Calum Hunter-Hill, leaving Edinburgh down to 13 men for two of the last three minutes. They were able to mount one last attack all the same, but it fizzled out.

Scorers, Saracens – Tries: Daly, Earl, Lewington, Wolstencroft. Cons: Farrell 2. Pens: Farrell 2.

Edinburgh – Tries: De Bruin, Goosen. Cons: Boffelli 2. Pens: Boffelli 4.

Saracens: E Daly; A Lewington, A Lozowski (A Goode 62), N Tompkins, S Maitland; O Farrell (captain), I van Zyl (A Davies 72); M Vunipola (E Mawi 65), J George (T Woolstencroft 65), M Riccioni (A Clarey 72), M Itoje, H Tizard (C Hunter-Hill 65), T McFarland (A Christie 54), B Earl, W Vunipola (J Wray 72).

Edinburgh: E Boffelli; W Goosen, M Bennett (D Hoyland 37), J Lang, D van der Merwe; B Kinghorn, B Vellacott (C Shiel 62); P Schoeman (B Venter 59), S McInally, L de Bruin (W Nel 33), J Hodgson (M Sykes 47), G Gilchrist, J Ritchie (captain), L Crosbie (B Muncaster 72), V Mata.

Yellow cards: Edinburgh – McInally 69, Nel 77.

Referee: N Amashukeli (Georgia).