Baxter focused on retaining core of Exeter squad

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says he is focused on retaining as much of his current squad as he can.

The Chiefs are in contract negotiations with a number of players - such as England centre Henry Slade - whose deals lapse at the end of the current season.

Having finished second from bottom of the Premiership last season Exeter have started the current campaign well, winning four of their six league games to sit second in the Prem.

Having had a couple of years of high turnover within the squad Baxter is hoping there will be more consistency next summer.

"We don't want to have a lot of turnover," he said.

"We want to try and keep a relatively balanced team and just add a little bit of quality season by season as we've done in the past."

Baxter says a lot of work is going on behind the scenes to secure players from the current squad for future seasons.

But the Exeter boss says he is also focused on adding to his squad for next season as clubs begin to make announcements on summer signings.

"We've been actively involved in the market for a period now already," he added.

"Some around retaining us on our own players, some around making approaches to other players or meeting other players or putting offers on the table to other players.

"That's an ongoing process, but that's nothing new, that happens every year around this time and earlier, so we're kind of active in the market at the moment,

"As far as the team being here, the squad being settled for next season, we're a little way off that yet, but I am keen to keep an amount of continuity.

"But I'm also keen to add to the squad because I think what you've seen this season is you've seen the Exeter players who've been here for more than one or two seasons doing very well and playing very well, but part of that is that you've also seen the players who've brought in to go exceptionally well.

"Without doubt, Steven Varney, Tom Hooper, Len Ikitau, Joseph Dweba, without doubt those guys have added to the quality of the squad and added to the frontline group.

"I want to have an amount of retention of the frontline group, but I also want to have the opportunity to bring in some quality as well."